Shining Friendship's Guiding Light
by cartoonfan101
Summary: After Joey's soul was lost to the Orichalcos, Mai fights harder than ever to make things right. But she soon discovers this path is unlike any she's ever taken before. A JoeyxMai story by Ragnarok.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 (This takes place minutes after Joey's duel with Mai in episode 173)

Mai cradled the unconscious Joey in her arms, tears pouring down her face. Joey was one of the strongest duelists she had ever known, but unfortunately for him, so was Valon. Joey had used up virtually all of his strength in order to defeat Valon, but she still forced him to fight her. If it had been a fair fight, she knew Joey would have easily beaten her, but Joey stood by his word and wanted to save her from the Orichalcos. After everything he had given her, she repaid him by helping his enemies do the very thing he had rescued her from.

It was all too much for Mai, as she picked up the Hermos card that slipped from Joey's fingers. As she picked up the card, she vowed that with this card, she would bring her 16 year old lover back from wherever the Orichalcos had taken him, even if it means she has to give her life for it.

"What have you done to him Mai?" a voice shouted from behind her.

Mai turned around to see Yami, Tristan, and Tea standing behind her. Yami's face showed sadness and concern for Joey, but Tristan and Tea's faces were twisted in anger.

Under normal conditions, Mai would easily come back with a snide remark, but she couldn't find a comeback of any kind this time. Now she realized something that she should have seen a long time ago: Joey was always there to protect her, even when the rest of his friends would not. But now, with Joey unconscious at her feet……….

Mai opened her mouth to speak, but never got any words out as Tristan grabbed her by the neck and slammed her into the fence.

"With Valon also lying unconscious against the fence and the positions you and Joey are in, I think it's safe to assume you're the one who took Joey's soul." Tristan shouted angrily. "_Now_ are you finally satisfied Mai? You got what you wanted! You got the power you claimed you deserved! The group has been broken up thanks to you! _Above all, Joey has been locked away in the seal, and you can now finally move on with your life!_"

"Tristan, that's _enough!_" Yami shouted, running over to pull Tristan's arm off Mai. "This isn't going to bring Joey back."

"That's true, but Mai has to be punished for what she did." Tristan replied, his arm still pinning Mai to the fence. Tea rushed to Yami's side and pulled Tristan's arm off Mai.

"The pharaoh is right Tristan. We aren't going to accomplish anything by blaming Mai. We need to get to Paradias HQ and confront Dartz. It's the only way to bring back everyone who lost their souls." Tea said, the anger from her face fading, replaced by a look of determination.

"We will, as soon as I kill Mai!" Tristan shouted and he turned his head back to Mai. "I bet you couldn't wait to seal Joey away, didn't you? You wanted this moment so badly you could taste it. You simply put on an act of sorrow to try to fool us into thinking you had actually turned good!"

"Are you always the one to jump to conclusions, Tristan?" a voice spoke from behind Yami, Tristan, Tea, and Mai. "You _really_ need to start looking at the whole picture before making claims."

Mai tilted her head up and her jaw dropped. Yami, Tristan, and Tea turned around and gasped in shock.

Joey, who had been lying unconscious on the concrete ground just a minute ago, was back on his feet.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

For a moment, everyone was silent. Then Yami, Tristan, Tea, and Mai all spoke up.

"Joey! Are you all right?"

"What happened here?"

"Did Mai hurt you?"

"How did you escape the seal?"

Yami, Tristan and Tea all turned to look at Mai. She had a look of pure shock on her face.

"Are the four of you finished yet?" The blonde asked. When the four became silent, he spoke up again, "I am not Joey Wheeler. I am the spirit of Hermos, one of the three ancient guardians of the Duel Monsters World. I did not expect the three of you to show up so soon, but since you have, and Joey lost his soul, I decided to borrow his body so I can speak to all of you."

Yami was the first to recover from this. "Then it's true. I saw Timaeus roar at the sky, indicating something had happened to Joey. Are you suggesting that Joey didn't lose his soul to Mai?"

"Of course it did happen."

Tristan, who was initially in shock, now became angry again. "Then I don't understand why you are defending her! She killed my best friend!" He turned to Mai furiously, who was still in shock of the recent events that took place.

"Tristan, I told you to look at the entire picture before making a judgment. And I'm not defending her, I'm simply stating facts, that's all." Hermos said, pointing to the shattered orichalcos crystal on the ground. "You'll notice an Orichalcos crystal had been shattered not far from where Mai was when you found her."

"That could be Valon's." Tristan argued.

Tea pointed to Valon, unconscious against the fence. "Valon's crystal is still perfectly intact around his neck Tristan."

"My point exactly. The crystal belonged to Mai." Hermos said, and then turned to Yami. "Pharaoh Yami, I'm sure you are well aware of the last moments of everyone who are about to be taken by the seal."

"I am." Yami said sadly. "The expression on my face was that of horror when I lost to Rafael, and I believe everyone who saw the seal shrink around them had a similar expression."

"Then take a look at this." Hermos said, tossing a card over to Yami, Tea, and Tristan.

Yami gasped in shock. "Joey is _smiling._ He was actually _smiling_ when the seal took his soul."

"That makes no sense." Tea argued, confused. "Nobody would actually want to have the seal take their soul."

"Now you are starting to catch on. Put these facts together. Mai was crying over Joey when you found her, the orichalcos crystal around her neck was shattered, and Joey was smiling when he lost his soul. What does all of this mean to you?" Hermos shot Yami a questioning look.

Yami closed his eyes for a moment, before opening them in realization and turning to Mai. "Mai, Joey's feelings and emotions _did_ reach you, didn't they?"

When Mai nodded sadly, Tea spoke up. "That makes no sense. The Seal of Orichalcos can only stay on the field if the orichalcos stone around whoever played it stays intact. If the stone really did break, why did Joey lose his soul?"

"Because the stone didn't break until _after_ Joey lost his soul." Yami replied. "I'm sure Hermos would agree with me on that." He turned to Hermos, who nodded in agreement.

"You caused all of this Mai!" Tristan shouted in anger. "I don't care if Joey did get through your thick head. You still killed him!"

Mai stayed silent, tears still falling from her face. She didn't bother to wipe them away. Tristan was right and no words of hers would comfort him, Yami, and Tea.

Hermos spoke up again. "Tristan, I thought by now you would have realized just how corruptive the power of the orichalcos really is. Yami and Tea both have. Why can't you?"

"Hold on Hermos," Tea cut in. "Just how would _you_ know how we felt about the power of the Orichalcos?"

"Understand Tea, Timaeus, Critius, and I are real monsters even when the Seal of Orichalcos is not in play. The three of us can see everything that happens even when we are not on the field. In fact, we don't even have to be in the duel to see what happens. As long as we are near it." Hermos replied. "Yami, you experienced first hand the corruptiveness of the orichalcos when you activated the seal against Rafael. Tristan, you and Joey were there to see him duel, and saw how different he was acting with the seal on his forehead. Tea, you saw the duel between Yugi and Yami in the "Stone Wilderness". You saw how Yugi was acting when he played the Seal of Orichalcos for yourself."

"That's true." Tea began, then stopped in her thoughts. "Hey wait a minute! Joey was nowhere near the "Stone Wilderness" when the pharaoh dueled Yugi. How could you have known about it?"

Hermos shrugged. "The spiritual forms of Timaeus, Critius, and myself can see things far away from us." He turned to Yami. "That is how I was able to see you and Kaiba fighting orichalcos soldiers when Joey was fighting Valon, miles away from you."

"Even though the orichalcos stone around her has been broken, Mai still had to pay for what she did!" Tristan protested. "I refuse to believe you are just going to let her walk away with this!"

"Tristan, I'm sorry for what I did, but-" Mai began.

"Save it Mai!" Tristan shouted. "Nothing you say is going to make me forgive you! _You killed JOEY!"_

Hermos rolled his eyes. "All right Tristan. I'm not saying Mai is completely not guilty for what happened, but I see you _really_ need to see the entire picture before judging her. Allow me to show you everything that happened in the empty lot before you three showed up, and then you tell me what you think of her actions." He then turned to Mai. "Mai," he spoke softly, "you weren't here to watch most of the duel between Joey and Valon. You too need to see this. You have to understand how they felt during their duel."

"How they _felt_? Does this mean you can read thoughts?" Yami asked, incredulous.

"Exactly. Even during all those years Timaeus, Critius, and I were sealed in ice, our spirits continued to roam the Earth to observe the chaos spread by the Orichalcos, though we could do nothing about it." Hermos replied, then opens his hand. The Claw of Hermos card flies into it, then floats near his hand. "This is everything I saw that happened here less than two hours ago, including the thoughts of Mai, Joey, and Valon. I suggest you take a look." The card began to glow, then fired out a beam of light, kind of like a movie projector, displaying the events that just took place.


	3. Chapter 3

Here's the deal. A friend of mine wrote this and he says that the next chapters will only go up if this chapter gets 5 reviews. And the rule is the same for every chapter after this one as well. The chapters will go up within 24 hours of the 5th review.

Chapter 3

"Now," Hermos said to Yami, Tristan, and Tea, "see what truly happened here, including the thoughts of all three of them. You'll even be able to see flashbacks within flashbacks. It'll help you better understand the entire situation."

"_Here we are old chump." Valon said as he led Joey into the empty lot and getting off his bike. "Glad you could make it. Now lets get down to business shall we?"_

"_Look pal, I want Mai back!" Joey shouted, also getting off his bike._

"_Then why chase me?" Valon asked. "She happens to have a mind of her own you know."_

"_She did." Joey said angrily. "At least, she did before you guys brainwashed her!"_

"_You don't get it mate. No one was brainwashed." Valon insisted. "Mai chose to join our side with her own free will and you want to know why? She was sick of taking a backseat while you got all the fame. Then I stepped in and changed all that."_

"_You messed with her head, that's what you did!" Joey accused. "She was one of my best friends, but the last time I saw her, she was saying things Mai never would have said."_

_-Flashback-_

"_I was sick of my life, so I CHOSE to change it!" Mai revealed in the Industrial Illusions building, in the middle of dueling Joey._

"_How could you?" Tea asked sadly._

_Mai looked down sadly. "You guys wouldn't understand. You've never been an outsider like me. You've got your little group and I'm not part of it."_

_-End of Flashback-_

"_Wake up, Wheeler!" Valon said, snapping Joey out of his thoughts. "I led you here to get rid of you for good, because Mai can't be happy with you around!" he accused, pointing a finger at Joey._

"_And what does that mean?" Joey asked, confused._

"_You're a constant remainder of what her life used to be, and Mai wants to forget all that. But as long as you still exist in this world she'll never be able to forget, so I'm here to erase you for good." Plus I know that deep down Mai still loves you, and I can't have that! Valon thought. It was something he hated to admit, but unfortunately there was no denying it._

Mai gasped. "Valon knew! He knew my feelings toward Joey the whole time!"

"Yes, Mai." Hermos replied. "Surprising, isn't it? Valon admitted it before you and Joey did. You were too blind to see it, and Joey was too afraid to admit it. _Now_ do you understand what the duel that took place was about?"

"_So what do you say Wheeler? Do we have ourselves a duel or not?" Valon asked, activating his dark duel disk. "Not that I'm giving you much of a choice!"_

_Clutching his left hand in anger, Joey also activates his duel disk. "I'd never back down from a challenge. Especially when I'm fighting for a friend! Now let's duel!" (Joey's LP: 4000. Valon's LP: 4000)_

"_You're going down. My move!" Joey said. "Check this out! I summon Alligator Sword!" The Alligator warrior hologram appears on the field (1500 atk). I got to be careful, Joey thought. I don't know anything about this guy's dueling style._

"_Nice opening card." Valon said sarcastically. "Unfortunately for you, mine is better mate. Just take a look, it's my good friend Psychic Armor Head."_

"Armor monsters!" Yami exclaimed. "This is not good for Joey."

"You've heard of them?" Tea asked, incredulous.

"Yes. Armor monsters are a special type of machine-type monsters. So special that they have their own category." Yami replied. "Every type of armor monster looks weak, but believe me, looks can be deceiving. Furthermore, armor monsters are very rare, which means they are all very, very powerful."

"_What's that do?" Joey asked, confused._

"_You're about to find out!" Valon replied, summoning it to the field (0 atk)._

_Joey was surprised. "Did you just summon a monster that has 0 atk pts or am I imagining things?"_

"_You're right. My Psychic Armor Head doesn't have a single atk pt. But when I add it together when a few other cards it becomes my very own suit of armor. And here's the piece that will hold it all together: My Armor Gravitation card!" Valon explained as he activates his magic card._

"_I'm going to need a little more information here." Joey said, very confused._

"_My Trap Buster Armor (0 atk) should clear things up." Valon said._

"_Nope. Still lost." Joey said, even more confused._

"_You're even dumber than I thought you were." Valon said with disgust. "I play Big Bang Blow (0 atk). Then I'll add my Overboost (0 atk), and last but not least, Active Guard (0 atk). And now for the fun part. Go, Armor Gravitation!" he shouted, as the 5 armor monsters start to merge together._

"_What's with the space suit?" Joey asked, but then sees all 5 pieces of the armor attach themselves to Valon. Now there's a move you don't see every day, Joey thought._

"_Each piece of my armor may have 0 atk pts, but together they form an unstoppable force." Valon explained. "And as soon as I attack, you'll experience that power for yourself!"_

_This guy just summoned 5 monsters at once, Joey thought, and now he's wearing them like some kind of space-age suit of armor._

"_You're out of luck," Valon said, snapping Joey out of his thoughts. "Not only does my suit defend me, it pack a pretty mean offense too."_

"_Your little Halloween costume doesn't have one single atk pt." Joey rolled his eyes. "Sounds like a pretty lame offense to me."_

"_We'll just see about that." Valon said. Doesn't this idiot know something called monster special abilities? "Let's start with my right arm, shall we? This part of my armor is known as Big Bang Blow, and I'm afraid your little reptile is about to find out why. Now, to calculate the odds of my success. System activate!"_

_Valon's Psychic Armor Head's computer system comes online._**_Probability of monster destruction: 99 percent._**

"_Just what I thought. Big Bang Blow, attack Alligator Sword!" Valon shouted as he flies towards Joey's monster._

"Valon must be insane." Tristan said. "Doesn't he know he'll lose 1500 LP?"

"Don't you realize his armor has special abilities?" Mai said. "How else did you think he could beat me so easily?"

"_That metal arm has 0 atk pts. What's this guy thinking? Alligator Sword, attack!" Joey commanded._

_Valon laughed. "I don't need atk pts. Big Bang Blow automatically destroys every monster on the field. Disintegrate his lizard with fist of armor!"_

_Alligator Sword is destroyed, Valon's Psychic Armor Head's computer system comes online again:_**_Initiating Active Guard. Absorbing attack damage._**

"_Not bad, eh?" Valon boasted, jumping back from the attack. (Joey's LP: 2500)_

"_You mind telling me what's going on? Why did I just lose 1500LP?" Joey asked, still confused about Valon's armor._

"_I'll make it real simple for you. When my right arm activates, it destroys every monster on the field. Then the total atk pts of every monster that was just destroyed gets subtracted from each player's LP."_

"_Hold on! Why didn't you lose any pts?" Joey asked angrily._

"_Because of my Active Guard. It's special ability allows my chest plate to absorb all the damage that would have reduced my LP so I stay safe."_

_Psychic Armor Head' system comes activates again:_ **_Attack phase has ended. Disengage armor matrix._**

"_My armor may be gone, but I haven't lost a single LP. And I've got plenty more surprises where that came from. You'll never survive this duel Wheeler!" Valon insisted. "Now, it's your turn."_

_Joey looked at the field in shock. "That's the sloppiest finish I ever saw. You just ended your turn with no card on the field to protect yourself!"_

"_I don't need to hide behind anything Wheeler. I win all my duels by facing my enemies head on. That's a lesson I learned the hard way a long time ago." Valon said confidently._

"As you can see Mai, Valon's past is somewhat similar to that of yours." Hermos explained as it showed Valon being beaten in juvy.

"So _that's_ why he thought he understood me." Mai said, realizing. "He too was an outsider." She shook her head. "But he didn't! Only Joey ever did!"

"I'm fully aware of that, Mai." Hermos said. "In a few moments, you'll find out why."

"_Ever since the day he rescued me from that dump I've been working for Dartz. But unlike some of my less talented colleagues, I duel on my own terms just like I always have. And today, I'm not fighting for Dartz. I'm fighting for me."_

_Joey smiled. This selfish punk doesn't know the first thing about duel monsters. This game is about way more than winning for yourself, it's about fighting for the people you care about. So please, hang in there Mai._

"_It's time for me to teach you a lesson, Joey Wheeler style!" Joey shouted. "You're going to be sorry you ever messed with my friends!"_

"_Then let's go," Valon said, not impressed with Joey at all. "I was just getting warmed up. Wait 'till you see what my deck of armor can REALLY do!"_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_That's just typical of Wheeler, Valon thought. All he has is so-called mighty words. Some of the opponents I fought back in juvy had a better opening move than him. No matter, this duel will be over soon, and he'll be gone from this world._

_I'd hate to admit it, but Valon DOES have a point. Joey thought. I used to like fighting all the time. After I met Yugi and the others, I learned a lot. It's actually quite strange. It feels like looking into a mirror of what I used to be, but I'm different now, and I won't be beaten by you, Valon._

"_You're putting me to sleep Wheeler. Hurry up and make a move so I can continue to torture you!" Valon mocked, snapping Joey out of his thoughts._

"_You are the one who's going to be in a world of hurt, got that?" Joey retaliated. "And it all starts with this card: my Marauding Captain! And I'm playing him in atk mode! Next, thank to my captain's special ability, I get to summon another monster to the field, and I choose this bad boy: my Battle Warrior in atk mode!" Both monsters attack Valon's LP directly, causing 1900 pts of damage to Valon. (Valon's LP: 2100)_

"_It'll take more than that to keep me down." Valon said, easily recovering from Joey's attack. "It's not the minor leagues mate, this duel is for real."_

_What is this guy so confident about? He doesn't even have one monster on the field. "You think you can do better? Take your best shot!" Joey challenged._

Careful Joey, Yami thought. Just because Valon has no monsters on the field doesn't make him any less dangerous, especially if he activates the Seal of Orichalcos!

"_If you say so." Valon said, drawing his card and Psychic Armor Head returns to the field. Perfect, he thought. I just drew the Seal of Orichalcos. Now things are about to get entertaining!_

"_What!? That helmet thing already went to the graveyard." Joey protested._

"_Haven't you heard of a special ability?" Valon replied, annoyed. "When Psychic Armor Head is in my graveyard, I can automatically bring it back to the field. Too bad chum, but my Psychic Armor Head should be the least of your worries if you know what I'm getting at."_

"_No! Not that!" Joey exclaimed. I'm not going to enjoy this!_

"_Well, it looks like you're starting to catch on, mate." Valon said as he raises his card. "I play the Seal of Orichalcos!"_

_The scene now shifts to another part of the city:_

"_Oh no!" Mai exclaims. "Someone's activating the sacred seal, and I have a feeling I know who. And that loser better leave a piece of Wheeler for me."_

_Curse you Valon, Mai thought as she rode down the steps on her motorcycle, I'm the one who deserves the pleasure of sealing Wheeler away, not you! You'd better stop the duel and let me finish him off when I find you! Mai thought as she rode her motorcycle down the street._

Immediately, Yami, Tristan, and Tea all turned to Mai, clearly upset.

"So that's how you knew where to find them." Yami said. "You saw Valon activate the seal while we were confronting Orichalcos soldiers." Mai just nodded gently her head but said nothing.

"_It's show time!" Valon announced as the seal encircled him and Joey._

_The seal may be powerful, but you still can't stop me from the people I need to save, Valon! Joey thought._

"_Now my Armor Head gets a nice power boost," Valon said, as his eyes turn red and the seal appears on his forehead. "Then I'll activate the magic card, Full Armor Gravitation. This little number let's me draw 10 cards from my deck, and it any are armor cards, I get to summon them right away!"_

"_First I'll summon Burning Knuckle (0 atk, raised to 500). Then I'll play Jet Gauntlet (0 atk, raised to 500). After that it's Overboost (0 atk, raised to 500), Active Guard (0 atk, raised to 500), Buster Knuckle (0 atk, raised to 500), and Advanced Shield (1000 atk, raised to 1500)!"_

"_Let me guess, you are putting on another funky space suit." Joey said, not surprised by Valon's actions._

"_You're smarter than you look." Valon said, discarding the other 4 cards he drew. With my armor, he'll never survive. In just a few more minutes, I'll be walking back to Mai with a perfect victory in my hands._

_Last time he strapped on that armor, he blew away almost half my LP, Joey thought, as the armor pieces attached themselves to Valon again._

_Now, Valon thought, to activate the system and see what I'm dealing with._

_**Opponent's LP: 2500. Marauding Captain strength: 1200. Battle Warrior strength: 700.**_

"_Are you going to attack or what?" Joey snapped._

"_Why are you in such a rush? This suit of armor is even stronger than the last one!" Valon boasted._

_But each piece of his little costume only has 500 atk pts, Joey thought. There must be more to his plan._

"_It's time to calculate your demise!" Valon announced, activating the system on Joey's monsters._

_Psychic Armor Head's sensors target Marauding Captain: **Target identified. Suggested offense: Buster Knuckle. Probability of Success: 99 percent** as Buster Knuckle's atk increases to 1900._

"_Hey! What did you do?" Joey asked angrily._

"_Buster Knuckle gets 200 atk pts for every armor card I have on the field, for a grand total of 1900." Valon explained as he flies in to destroy Marauding Captain. (Joey's LP: 1800)_

_Joey clutches his chest from the blow. "What did you do? Why did I feel pain from your attack?"_

_Valon chuckled. "As you know, with the Seal of Orichalcos in play, the monsters are not holograms anymore. My armor monsters now gain the ability to cause pain to you, not just drain your LP. Every strike to stab you in the heart and drain you of energy. Fortunately for you Wheeler, only one armor monster is allow to attack every turn, so I can't do anything anymore."_

_This is the worst Déjà vu Duel I've had! Joey thought._

_Flashback to Kaiba's Alcatraz Duel Tower and Joey being drained of his strength by Marik's Plasma Eels that attach themselves to Joey's monster._

_Less than a month ago, Marik threw a very similar shadow game that I had to endure. Now, less than a month later, I'm fighting a very similar duel, against an even tougher opponent, for the exact same woman I love, where the consequences of losing is even worse!_

Mai's eyes widened in shock. "Did Joey just say he loves me?"

"You heard right, Mai." Hermos replied. "I'm glad one of you two finally admitted the truth."

"Now do you see what you are putting Joey through?" Yami asked. Mai lowered her head in pain. "All of the pain Joey went through is so he could tell you his feelings for you."

"I never meant-" Mai began, but couldn't say anymore, as the pain in her heart overwhelmed her again.

"_Too much for you?" Valon asked, not really caring how Joey felt._

"_Not even close. I've been through much worse!" Joey said, trying to get back up. And that's not an exaggeration either. I've been hit by an Egyptian God Card before!_

"_We're just getting started." Valon mocked. "By the end of this duel you'll be begging for mercy. Then your old buddy Mai will see what a pathetic chump you really are, and hopefully she'll realize why she walked out on you in the first place, so she can move on already."_

"Valon, I walked out on Joey because I didn't believe my feelings for him were real like I do now! And I don't want to move on away from him!" Mai cried in despair.

"Watch it…." Joey said, furious.

"_Look mate, all I'm watching out for is myself, and right now the best thing for me is to get rid of you. 'Cause as long as you're around Mai is going to be obsessed with dueling you. That's right, since your last duel all she talks about is a rematch, but I can't let Mai put herself in that kind of danger again, so I got to you first. You see Wheeler? I'm not such a bad guy. We both want the same thing: we want Mai to be happy." Valon reasoned._

_Yeah, if your definition of happiness and suffering mean the same thing, Joey thought. "Come on, get real. If you really wanted Mai to be happy, you wouldn't have brainwashed her in the first place."_

"_I told you she CHOSE to join us!" Valon insisted._

"_No way! I know Mai, and she never would have walked out on us like that. Not unless someone messed with her head." Joey insisted. "And if you ask me, this Dartz guy is messing with all of your heads. That Orichalcos card he gave you has evil magic in it, and it makes everyone who hold it go nuts!"_

"_Are you done? If you are then allow me to tell you the truth." Valon explained, insulted. "That Orichalcos card did more fore Mai that you ever could. She was weak, and it made her strong. She was lost, and it showed her the way."_

_Flashbacks show Mai being given the power of the Orichalcos, how Valon tried to explain to her that she's just like him, lonely and misunderstood, and how after Mai took Pegasus's soul, Valon learned that she wanted to take down Joey._

"Valon, even if I had wanted power like that, I never wanted to kill people!" Mai protested in disbelief, seeing herself take Pegasus's soul without even realizing it.

"_Mai can't stand the sight of you, and neither can I mate, so I plan to take you down for her. Once you're out of picture she can move on, to bigger and better things, like teaming up with me and leaving behind the past once and for all!" Valon replied._

"_No way, Mai would never want to get rid of me after what we've been through. We're friends!" Joey shouted. Valon, you never fought by our side before, you can't know what's best for her. Maybe I don't either, but at least I have a better understanding than you._

_Flashbacks show Mai giving Joey her entry card to duel Bandit Keith so he can save his sister._

"_Mai has nothing in common with you. So she may be rough around the edges and she can't have an attitude every once in a while, but she NEVER join up with a bunch of crazy low lives with some crazy plan to take over the world!" Joey protested._

"_We'll just see." Valon said. You'll never understand her like I do, Wheeler, and because of that, I can't lose._

"_Whatever you guys did to her, I'm going to undo it as soon as I win this, so why don't we move on!" Joey said, drawing his next card. "I sacrifice my Battle Warrior so I can summon Jinzo (2400 atk) to the field!"_

_Psychic Armor Head's sensors target Jinzo: **Jinzo detected. Atk strength: 2400. Special Ability: Destroys traps.**_

"Well this is just great!" Tea said. "Joey can't even summon a monster that can surprise Valon anymore. His armor can even detect monster special abilities!"

"_Jinzo, attack now! Crush his Psychic Armor Head!" Joey commanded._

_Psychic Armor Head's system activates: **Enemy attack detected. Initiating attack deflection.**_

_Valon uses Buster Knuckle (1900 atk) to block Jinzo's attack._

"_I attacked your helmet, not that thing." Joey protested as Buster Knuckle is destroyed. (Valon's LP: 1600)_

"_No kidding. But whenever a piece of my armor is attacked I can redirect the blast to another piece." Valon explained, not surprised to Joey's dismay._

"_So? You can hide inside your tin can, but you can't destroy Jinzo." Joey said, confident that his Jinzo will take care of Valon's armor._

"_I have to disagree. My armor is full of surprises." Valon said, not fazed by the loss of his Buster Knuckle._

_His armor is much too weak to my Jinzo, Joey thought, what doe he think he can do?_

"_My move Wheeler." Valon said, drawing his next card. This'll come in handy later. "Now, the fun continues." he announced as Psychic Armor Head's sensors target Jinzo:_

_**Target Identified. Suggested offense: Burning Knuckle** as Burning Knuckle's atk increases to 1700._

"_Your attack pts just went up again!" Joey exclaimed. "Let me guess…"_

"_Just like Buster Knuckle, this card get an extra 200 atk pts for every armor monster in play." Valon explained._

"_Well it's still weaker than my Jinzo." Joey replied, not impressed by Valon's power-up._

"_You'll never learn," Valon smirked. "Watch this! I'm attacking your Jinzo with Burning Knuckle. Cheerio!" This guy had better start learning of special abilities, or this duel is going to get boring for me to explain everything for him, Valon thought, as his armored fists collides with Jinzo's fist, cracking in the process._

_When Valon jumped back, his Burning Knuckle is destroyed, but Joey's Jinzo is still on the field. (Valon's LP: 900)_

"_Nice try, but your metal arm was no match for Jinzo!" Joey said, not surprised that his Jinzo survived the attack._

"_Take a closer look mate." Valon said, pointing to Jinzo, who's atk is now 700. "Your Jinzo has seen better days."_

"_How'd you do that? He lost almost all his pts!" Joey exclaimed._

"_Burning Knuckle's got a nasty side effect. When it's destroyed, its atk pts get subtracted from your monster." Valon explained._

"Valon still lost almost half his LP to weaken Jinzo." Tea reasoned. "I don't think it was worth the risk."

"Tea, that would only hold true if his other armor monsters have no special abilities." Yami said. "We don't know that for sure, though."

"_Yeah, but you still had to give up almost half your LP just to lower my monster's strength." Joey said, realizing what Valon did. He just took a really big risk. This guy must have a lot of faith in that armor of his to willingly let go of all those pts. Either that, or he's just really dumb. Still, I seriously doubt it's the latter. And maybe now I can gain control of this duel._

"_It look's like you're out of luck tough guy! I summon Rocket Warrior(1500 atk) in attack mode! Rocket Warrior, attack his Overboost!" Joey ordered._

_Psychic Armor Head's system activates: **Enemy attack detected. Initiating attack deflection.**_

_Valon holds up Advanced Shield (1500 atk), hoping to destroy both monsters. Advanced Shield is destroyed._

"_Oh well, there goes your shield. But my Rocket Warrior come away without a scratch because I was smart enough to put him in invincible mode. And even though you lowered Jinzo's atk pts he's still strong enough to destroy your Jet Gauntlet!" as Joey orders Jinzo to attack._

"_Here we go again." Valon shook his head in disgust as he launches his Jet Gauntlet (500 atk) at Jinzo, destroying both monsters. Both Joey and Valon are hurled back by the explosion._

"_Don't tell me, that was your special ability, right? I'm getting a little tired of this, Robo Boy!" Joey shouted, annoyed._

"_Nice shot, I wasn't expect that one. I've got to admit you're not such a terrible duelist Wheeler." Valon admitted. "But I'm better." Mai was right on one thing about him, Valon thought. He may be stubborn, but he's quite fanatical. It's been a LONG time since I fought an opponent with THIS kind of fanaticism. I'll just have to take things up a little._

"_Fine! You think you're so good? Do your worst!" Joey challenged._

"I've always tried to look at former friends when they're under the influence of the Orichalcos." Hermos explained to Yami, Tristan, and Tea. "As you can see, it still has total control over Mai in this moment."

_Mai stops her motorcycle in the middle of a street. "I know they're around here somewhere, and I have to stop that duel now. I'd better not be too late, 'cause I'm going to make Wheeler pay for what he did to me." Images show Marik laughing at her. "I can't! I'll never go back to that place! I have to destroy Joey Wheeler." Mai's eyes are now red, the Seal of Orichalcos glowing on her forehead. "As soon as he's locked away I can put my past behind me once and for all. That pathetic fool isn't going to know what hit him until it's too late."_

"Ironic, isn't it Mai?" Hermos replied. "The situation turned out to be reversed when it was all over between the two of you."

Mai remained silent, but more tears are flowing down her face now.

"_Time to crush your last monster!" Valon vowed, drawing his card. "I summon Buster Pile!" (0 atk, raised to 500)_

"_What's that?" Joey asked, as Buster Pile attaches to Valon. "A replacement arm?"_

"_Exactly. Now Buster Pile attack, Projectile Blast!" Valon shouted as Buster Pile destroys Rocket Warrior._

_Joey clutches his chest in pain. "Since your Buster Pile only has 500 pts, I'll assume it's got a special ability."_

"_You're very observant, Wheeler. My Buster Pile automatically wipes out any monster it attacks, regardless of pts. Plus it takes away 500 of your LP." Valon explained. (Joey's LP: 1300) "And now, I'll end my turn with this card. It's called Data Brain, and I'll link it up with my Psychic Armor Head. Wait 'til you see what THIS can do!"_

_His armor cards are taking me apart, Joey thought. Seems like no matter what monster I play, this guy's able to blow is sky high. "My move! Look out!" as Joey draws the Claw of Hermos. NOW we're talking, Joey thought, looking at that card._


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_Hmmmmmm, Joey thought, Valon only has 4 armor monsters on the field, each with 500 atk pts. With only 900 LP remaining, all I really need is a 1400 atk pt monster. I could just use the Monster Reborn card in my hand to bring back Jinzo, Alligator Sword, or Rocket Warrior, destroy one of his armor monsters and win, but that would be assuming none of his armor monsters has multiple special abilities. Better use the Claw of Hermos instead._

"_You going to stare at that card all night?" Valon mocked. "You know, it works better when you actually play it."_

"_You are even dumber than you look!" Joey replied, "But you asked for it!" Now, let's see how well my legendary dragon works against you, Valon. "First, I summon my Brigadier of Landstar (900 atk)! And then, I activate my Monster Reborn card, and I'm using it to bring my Rocket Warrior back! And finally, I play this: The Claw of Hermos!" Joey shouted as the giant dragon appears on the field._

"_About time, I was waiting for that. This way, I can REALLY prove my strength. So go, use your dragon. No monster is too strong for my armor!" Valon announced. Wheeler still doesn't understand, unlike Mai, he'll need more than that to even have a chance against me._

"I don't understand." Tristan asked Mai, confused. "After Joey used it on you in the Industrial Illusions Building you could do nothing to stop it. What is Valon so confident about?"

"He's had more experience than me," Mai shrugged. "I guess he's already anticipated that move before Joey even drew it."

_"Now, I'll merge my Claw of Hermos with my Rocket Warrior!" Joey ordered as a tank cannon like weapon appears on the field._

_Psychic Armor Head's system activates:_ **_Warning: Unknown Magic Card Detected._**

"_What's that?" Valon asked, surprised that his Psychic Armor Head's system failed to identify it._

"_My Rocket-Hermos Cannon. It's the perfect item to help my Brigadier of Landstar take you down!" Joey said as his Brigadier of Landstar picks up the cannon (900 atk)._

_That makes no sense, Valon thought. His monster's atk strength didn't change, so it's useless against me. "You're kidding me, right? That cheery little guy couldn't even put a dent in my armor!"_

"_He's not looking to make a dent, he's going to blow the whole thing away!" Joey shouted. And if you knew the Rocket-Hermos Cannon's ability, you'd be trembling by now, Valon. "Now, Brigadier of Landstar, attack with Rocket-Hermos Cannon!"_

_The rocket heads toward Valon, as Psychic Armor Head's system activates again:_ **_Enemy attack detected. Initiation attack deflection._**_But then, the rocket splits into 4 rockets._ **_Warning: Attack deflection failure. Danger: Opponent attack unavoidable. Probability of armor destruction: 100._**_The four rockets strike Valon, engulfing his side of the field in smoke._

"_Guess it worked! That cannon should have blown the armor right off his back." Joey said, as the smoke clears, revealing Valon on his back, his armor destroyed. "I win. Looks like I'm the last man standing, right pal?"_

_You'll pay for that, Wheeler! Valon thought. No one strikes me like that and gets away with it! "Wrong, I may be down, but I'm not out, thanks to my armor." he said weakly, getting back up._

"_But how? I destroyed your armor." Joey asked, surprised that Valon could take such a blow and still keep fighting._

"_It's got special abilities, remember? And when you destroyed it just now, you let loose its most devastating one!" Valon explained._

"_Impossible, the Rocket-Hermos Cannon destroys every monster on your side of the field, and their total atk pts get subtracted from your LP." Joey protested. "Due to the seal, all 4 of your armor pieces have 500 atk pts, so you lost 2000 LP in that attack, which means the duel should be over!"_

_Valon laughed. "Did you forget about my Active Guard? As long as it is on the field, you CAN'T drain my LP with a card's effect. Your Rocket-Hermos Cannon was no exception to this rule! Do you hate always being one step behind me?"_

"_I know you're bluffing. You've got nothing left and you're about to lose, now go!" Joey said confidently._

"_Not quite, I'm still holding my Data Brain magic card. It activated when you destroyed my armor." Valon said, as Data Brain began to analyze the Rocket-Hermos Cannon._

"_What's it doing to my rocket cannon?" Joey asked, nervous about what Valon is planning._

"_What does it look like? It's absorbing information. As we speak my Data Brain is memorizing the precise molecular structure of your cannon, so it can create an exact duplicate of your weapon on my side of the field. That is how Data Brain works. If my armor is destroyed by a card's effect, Data Brain will duplicate that effect." Valon explained, as another Rocket-Hermos Cannon appeared on the field._

"_But I'm not done yet. Say hello to an old friend. You remember my card that never goes away, don't you? If not ,this will jog your memory, Psychic Armor Head return!" Valon announced, as Psychic Armor Head (0 atk, raised to 500) forms around his head. "And since you're so happy to see it I'll also play another Burning Knuckle (0 atk, raised to 900), just 'cause I like it. But this time things are going to be different, because I'm upgrading my armor with a new weapon. It's the one I just got from you, Wheeler."_

_Valon picks up the Rocket-Hermos Cannon his Data Brain just created. "How can I ever repay you? Wait, I think I know, I'll use it on you. Rocket-Hermos Cannon attack!" he ordered as the rockets destroy Joey's Brigadier on Landstar, and blows Joey off his feet, landing flat on his face. (Joey's LP: 400) A scene cuts into the picture, showing the glow from Timaeus and Critius immediately fade._

"So _that's_ what happened," Yami realized, horrified. "Valon turned Joey's own weapon against him."

"True, but at least his LP are not at 0." Hermos replied. "And now you'll see what caused him to fight on."

_Sooooooo painful, Joey thought, lying flat on his face. Even Marik didn't succeed in reducing me to this state during our duel without using Ra. An image appeared in his mind, showing Mai trapped in the Seal of Orichalcos. "Joey, help me…."_

_Mai! Joey thought, snapping back into attention. I promised I'd free you from the spell, and I never break a promise to a friend!_

Mai's eyes widened in disbelief. Those were the exact words Joey said to her when Marik tried to kill her with Ra on the Battle Ship.

_When Yugi and Yami defeated Marik, Joey thought sadly, I made a vow that if something like this ever happened again, I'd never fail you again, Mai. And Valon is not going to break that vow!_

_Well, that had to have done it, Valon thought. His LP may not be at 0, but no opponent I've ever faced had been reduced to this position and still kept fighting. The one's who were and still had LP admitted defeat long before they were reduced into such a state. "Lucky for you, this rocket cannon only lasts one turn. But by the looks of you I think one turn was all I needed to knock you down for the count, so I guess this means I win the duel, eh?"_

_I promised Mai, and I will not be stopped again! Joey thought as he struggled up. "Joey Wheeler never gives up!"_

"_What!? Look at yourself mate. You're a mess, so walk away while you still can." Valon said, surprised that Joey also was able to take a blow like that and keep fighting._

"_No way, I'm doing this for Mai 'cause whether she know it or not, she needs my help. And in order to do that, I need to win!" Joey insisted, getting back to his feet._

_This guy's even tougher than I thought, Valon thought in disbelief. I've never faced an opponent with this much determination. After what I put him through, he should have given up by now._

"_Time to take control of this duel, so look out!" Joey announced. "There's too much at stake for me to lose!"_

_This is just great, Valon thought in disgust. Not only is this guy fanatical, he's also an opponent who's blind to defeat. This is going to make things a lot more complicated, but I'll still have victory in the end. I'll just have to get it the hard way._

_Easier said than done, Joey thought, looking at his hand. I don't have any cards that can stop his attack. I have to draw one that can right now. I know you're still with me Mai, so please, help me. An image of Mai appeared next to Joey, putting her hand on his, and helping him draw the next card._

"I never thought Joey felt this way about you Mai," Hermos said to Mai, who's sobbing her eyes out in pain for what she put Joey through. "I never thought of you being i_his/i_ guiding light, more like him being _your_ guiding light."

_"Too weak to make a move?" Valon mocked, seeing Joey huffing pretty hard._

"_I don't think so. I play this face down and end my turn." Joey said, inserting the card into the slot._

"_So I guess you couldn't find a monster that was strong enough to take me down. That means your LP are wide open mate, and I've got just the thing to help me smash them to smithereens and end this duel already." Valon said triumphantly, then looks at Joey's face down card. It's probably just some card than give him enough LP so that after this attack, he'll have just a shred of LP remaining. So all I have to do is draw a monster card, and his strategy will fail, allowing me to win._

"_Here goes!" Valon said, drawing his card. Perfect, he thought, this duel ends now. "I summon my Black Hole Shield(0 atk, raised to 500) in attack mode!" as another armor piece attaches to his left arm. "This give my Burning Knuckle 200 extra atk pts." (Burning Knuckle: 1100 atk)_

_Psychic Armor Head's system activates:_ **_Scanning opponent's playing field. Monster cards: 0. Face down cards: 1._**

"_Say goodbye to the rest of your LP Wheeler, Burning Knuckle attack, with Iron Fist Uppercut! It's all over!" Valon ordered, flying towards Joey and punching him right in the face. Instead, a red suit of armor forms around Joey._

"_You thought you were the only one with a space suit, didn't you? Well you activated my Aura Armor trap card!" Joey said gleefully._

"_You've got to be kidding me!" Valon said in disbelief as Psychic Armor Head's system activates again:_ **_Detecting metal armor._**

"_I decided the only way to beat you was to fight armor with armor." Joey explained. "You see, if Aura Armor is on the field and I get attacked, it activates if I have under 2000 LP. Sure, I had to give up half of those LP in order to use it, but as an added bonus, I was ale to cancel out your last attack, and get this snazzy suit!" (Joey's LP: 200)_

"_Why don't you try something original?" Valon roared angrily. "'Cause nobody likes a wannabe!"_

"_Don't worry. My armor is different than yours." Joey replied. "Mine is directly linked to my LP so when it gets destroyed, I lose. So how's that for original? Now let's go."_

_**Analysis complete. Monster identified as Aura Armor. Special ability: direct link to opponent's LP. Atk and def strength: 200.**_

"_I see," Valon said, understanding. "One more round and one more attack, last man standing wins the duel. I'm in. I lay one card face down." Wheeler is really starting to get on my nerves. Doesn't this guy realize he's just delaying the inevitable?_

_What I really need now is a new hand, Joey thought, drawing his card. "Now check this out! I activate Roll of Fate! Here's how it works: whatever the number the dice lands on, I get to pick up that many cards, but I also have to send that many cards to the grave." The dice lands on four, and Joey draws and discards four cards._

_Perfect, Joey thought, now I got the cards I need to win this duel. "All right, I'm going to start things off with this: the magic card Red Eyes Transmigration. All I have to do is sacrifice my Red Eyes Black Dragon, and you're done. It's that simple!"_

"_He's not even on the field!" Valon protested._

"_But he's in my hand." Joey replied. "So I sacrifice my Red Eyes Black Dragon and my new armor card so I can play Lord of the Red!" as blue flames surround Joey._

"_What in the world!?" Valon cried in disbelief, as the flames subside, showing Joey standing in a suit of dragon armor (2400 atk)._

"_What do you think? I know, you need to closer look, right?" Joey said triumphantly as he jumps up for a flying attack. "Lord of the Red, attack! There's no way out this time!" The strongest monster has only 1100 atk, Joey thought, so no matter what happens, Valon will lose at least 1300 LP in this attack, and I win the duel._

_Psychic Armor Head's system activates:_ **_Enemy attack detected. Initiation attack deflection. Danger: opponent attack strength too high. Suggested countermeasure: Black Hole Shield._**

"_That's what you think!" Valon shouted, activating Black Hole Shield. "Go, Black Hole Shield!"_

"_Hey, what's going on?" Joey asked, as the wind from the shield blows Joey away._

"_Your attack failed!" Valon explained. "By sacrificing my shield I protected my LP from any damage." (Burning Knuckle: 900 atk)_

"_No! I thought my strategy was foolproof!" Joey cried, in disbelief that Valon still saved himself._

"_Oh well, guess not!" Valon said, looking down at his hand. I saved myself, but barely. Look at me, I'm shaking. That's never happened to me during a battle before! This guy's pushing me to my dueling limits. Come to think of it, this could be the greatest challenge I've ever faced._

_**Analysis complete. Monster identified as Lord of the Red. Attack strength: 2400. Special Ability: Not in database.**_

"_You know what Wheeler? I've got to admit, you're putting up quite a fight." Valon said. Even I can't deny Joey's dueling skills now. But no matter what, I will be the one walking back to Mai with the victory._

"_You too," Joey replied. "But you know what pal? I'm not fighting for fun. This is about saving my friends!" Joey tilted his eyes slightly to the right and sees Mai's motorcycle approaching. And once Valon is out of the way, I'll free you, Mai._

_No, Mai's already here. I've go to end this duel NOW, Valon thought. "Hey Mai! You're just in time to catch the end of the greatest duel ever played!"_

"_You and I had a deal remember? Joey Wheeler's mine!" Mai shouted angrily as she approached the seal, but was repelled. "Look, you've done enough, so why don't you take a hike and let me finish this?"_

"You struck a deal with _Valon?_" Tristan shouted in disbelief. "Typical of you Mai. Joey would be in no condition to duel you."

Mai looked on sadly. "I was still under the spell."

"That's your excuse for everything Mai! First Marik messed with your head with his Millennium Rod. Now the Orichalcos stone messed with your head." Tristan spat in disgust.

_"Sorry no can do." Valon replied. Seeing the confused expression of Mai's face, he continued. "I'm having way too much fun out here to stop now. Plus this duel's no place for you. There's too much at stake. I won't let you risk losing everything you had. That's why I challenged Wheeler in the first place: to protect you. I wanted to get rid of him so you'd be able to move on with your life, and that's exactly what I'm going to do."_

_Valon, can't you see you aren't helping her at all? Joey thought. "Guess what? I'm fighting for the same reason." I WILL achieve this victory, Valon, and you are not going to stop me!_

"_Then let's get on with it! I can't wait to see what you play next!" Valon said, wanting to finish the duel._

"_You're going to have to wait pal, because I play one card face down and end my turn." Joey said, setting a card face down on the field. Come on Valon, play a magic card. Once you play that, I'll beat you._

"_Big mistake pal!" Valon said, drawing his card. Perfect, this card will destroy his monster and the rest of his LP. "I activate Monster Reborn, which let's me bring back Buster Pile!" Buster Pile (0 atk, raised to 500) attaches itself to Valon's arm. (Burning Knuckle: 1100 atk). "Here comes the last attack of the duel, Wheeler!" Valon announced. My Buster Pile will destroy his Lord of the Red and do 500 pts of damage to his LP. With only 200 LP left, he'll lose this duel as soon as I attack._

"_Not quite, I have this!" Joey announced activating his face down card. "I activate my Scapegoats magic card!" as 4 scapegoat tokens appear in front of Valon._

"_Come on, those pip squeaks can't block my fist of iron!" Valon smiled. His brain must not be thinking clearly. My Buster Pile destroys ANY monster it attacks and does 500 pts of damage. Doesn't Wheeler know his scapegoats aren't exceptions?_

"_Well it's a good thing that's not what I'm trying to do, isn't it?" Joey said._

"_What are you up to?" Valon demanded as blue flames surround Joey again._

"_My armor's got a special power too. Lord of the Red is able to automatically destroy every other monster on the field when two magic cards are played in one turn." Joey explained._

"_Hold on! TWO cards? But you only played ONE card!" Valon protested._

"_True, but you played Monster Reborn, which counts as the second magic card I needed!" Joey said triumphantly._

"_No, I don't believe this!" Valon shouted in disbelief as Joey transforms Lord of the Red into its Phoenix form. "I know you're bluffing, Wheeler! There's no way your armor can beat mine!" as Valon flies up to intercept Joey's attack._

_Mai stares in horror, as a midair explosion shook the field, destroys the scapegoats, and Valon falls on his back, but then struggles back onto his feet._

"Just how much endurance does this guy have?" Tea exclaimed, shocked. "I've never seen anyone take beating like that and still fight on."

_"Still think I was bluffing?" Joey asked, as Valon's armor dissolves away._

"_My armor's gone, but I still have a few LP left, so this duel's still on! Come on, give me everything you've got!" Valon challenged. You still can't win, Wheeler. I've still got my face down card._

"_If you say so. Here goes! It's been nice knowing you." Joey launches his attack. All Valon has left is that face down card, he thought, which has been lying useless for several turns now, so this duel ends now!_

"_Not so fast! Activate trap: Extinction Fist!" Valon shouted, activating his trap card. "This card allows me to neutralize your attack right on the spot and rid the field of your Lord of the Red. Go, Extinction Fist!" This card will bring the monsters he used to summon Lord of the Red back to the field, but at least he can't attack anymore for the rest of his turn, Valon thought._

_Joey gets a direct punch to the stomach, and reels in pain. "It was a good effort. Unfortunately for you, I was one step ahead, again!" Valon said as he pushed Joey back to his side of the field, the Aura Armor and Red Eyes Black Dragon reappearing on the field._

"_I got to hand it to you pal, I didn't see that one coming." Joey said, gasping for breath, struggling to get back on his feet._

"_Well, that was the point." Valon replied, also gasping for breath._

_This is it, Mai thought sadly. They're both one attack away from defeat. In the next round, one of them is going to be trapped by the seal forever._

"I couldn't have put it better myself Mai." Hermos said. "I think that from the beatings Joey and Valon took, it _did_ bring out the real you in there, at least for a moment."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"This duel has gone out of control!" Tea exclaimed, as she watched the projection in horror. "Both of them are going to end up _killing_ each other!"

"Well what did you expect?" Hermos asked. "Neither Joey nor Valon is willing to admit defeat, but both on the verge of that right now."

Mai stood away from Yami, Tristan, and Tea, silently weeping. Joey didn't deserve this, but it was her fault why he had been reduced to such a state.

_What is it with this guy? Joey thought. Just what do I have to do to take his last 900 LP away? Valon must also have deep feelings for Mai just like myself. If not, then there is absolutely no way he could hold out this long against me. He is different from Rafael and Alister. Even under the Orichalcos' spell, Rafael still fought for his family, just like Alister who fought for his brother. But Valon doesn't seem to have fought for anyone besides himself until he met Mai._

_Flashback: Joey meeting Mai for the first time on the ship to Duelist Kingdom—Surprisingly, Joey thought, Mai was just like that when I first met her, which was how I used to be before meeting Yugi. Is that why Valon thinks he and Mai are meant to be together? Regardless, he is still misguided due to the Orichalcos._

_Flashback: Joey dueling Mai in the Industrial Illusions building, and how Yami told Joey to fight on just as he was about to surrender—I could just let Valon win, Joey thought. When I was about to surrender, I saw the old Mai for a split second. But that isn't going to happen this time. I have to see with my own eyes that Mai has been freed from the Orichalcos' control, so I must beat Valon._

_I didn't even look at the card I just drew because I thought I was going to win in that last attack, Joey thought. But I know whatever I drew, it will help me save Mai. An image of Mai appeared by Joey again, holding Joey's hand. I now know the perfect way to start weakening the Orichalcos' control over her. She played that card every duel because she thought it gave her complete and control and made her unbeatable. It's time for her to see how the "mighty" has fallen. Valon's defeat will give her concrete evidence that the Orichalcos magic card guarantees nothing in reality._

_I'd never thought I'd be forced to say this, Valon thought, but if I can't draw the right card right now, Wheeler's going to win next turn. I certainly underestimated him from the start. I thought he was just a slightly tougher nut than all the ones I dueled against in juvy, but he's clearly not. But I have to win. I can't let Mai put herself on the line again. Please Mai, help me defeat this chump. An image of Mai appeared by Valon, her hand resting on his deck._

"This is madness!" Mai cried, seeing herself appear by both of them. "They can't both draw on my strength and fight _against_ each other with it!"

_Now, once I beat Wheeler, I'll just have to hope Dartz lets me keep her in the group, Valon thought._

_Flashback: Paradias HQ Conference Room—Rafael, Alister, and Valon were speaking to Dartz via intercom._

"_Valon, Ms. Valentine seemed to be dueling just fine against Joseph Wheeler. Why did you stop the duel?" Dartz asked._

"_He didn't want to lose her, Master Dartz." Rafael replied. Valon punched him in the arm._

"_Knock it off! Master Dartz, Mai was doing fine until Wheeler also drew a legendary dragon like the Pharaoh. Her deck was not ready to fight it yet, so I had to make sure that IF she faced it again, she would be ready." Valon replied. "Believe me Master Dartz, I know how Wheeler feels for her, and that will be an advantage for us."_

"_Very well then. Alister, once Ms. Valentine regains consciousness take her to the card room. Have her deck rebuilt. This will allow her to at least have a better chance at defeating Joseph Wheeler once they meet again. And as for you Valon, get some rest. That stunt you pulled gave you a broken arm, but thanks to the power of the Orichalcos you'll heal in a matter of hours. Try not to pull such a stunt again. Dartz out."_

"_Valon, I really wonder what did you ever see in her," Rafael said as Alister left the room. "Unlike me and Alister, she doesn't fight for anything other than herself, glory, and power."_

"_You know, until I met her I was just like that." Valon countered. "Once Wheeler's out of the way, I will be able to share all of my victories with her, and vice versa."_

_Rafael shook his head. "Sometimes I wonder why didn't the Orichalcos take her soul the instant she came in contact with it. Once the Great Beast returns, the world would then be purified, and only the rightful people would remain. Personally, I don't see her in that category."_

"_She will remain, Rafael!" Valon shouted. "I know that, because I will be there personally to see it happen."_

"_Suit yourself Valon, but understand this," Rafael stated. "I'm only letting her stay in the group because I see a very good possibility of her defeating Joey Wheeler. Once that is accomplished, however, she would become of no more use to us, except possibly her life force being offered to the Great Beast. If you want to keep her, that's fine with me, but don't lose sight of the greater picture."_

_End of Flashback_

_Because of this, I must win this duel, Valon thought. I won't let Mai put herself in anymore danger, and I know the only obstacle to that is Wheeler, who simply refuses to admit defeat despite the fact he only has 200 LP remaining._

"See Mai?" Yami said, pointing to the projection. "You were going to get nothing from them from the very beginning. All that power given to you would only stay with you as long as Joey was around, and even then there were no guarantees."

Mai stared at the image in disbelief. All she ever wanted when she joined DOOM was to have her name known to the world, instead of Kaiba, Yugi, and Joey. It never occurred to her that whatever her opponents suffered through when she used the Seal of Orichalcos could also happen to her.

_"I still don't know how you got yourself out of my last attack," Joey said, panting heavily. "But I have one more shot to take you down, and there are way too many people counting on me to let you walk away with a victory."_

"_Oh, like YOU'RE going to walk away with one." Valon said, in no better condition. "Please, it looks to me like you can barely stand, let alone walk, mate. And might I remind you there's someone counting on my victory too."_

_Each of these two numskulls think they're going to save me by winning, Mai thought angrily.. Well I don't need to be saved. All I need is my victory over Wheeler, as the seal appears on her forehead again._

"_Since I want to keep this armor on, I'm going to have to give up half my LP." Joey announced. (Joey's LP: 100) "Then I'll place these two cards face down. Let's see what YOU'VE got!" This guy most likely wants to bring back his suit of armor, Joey thought, and hopefully my two face down cards will help me beat it._

"_With pleasure," Valon replied, drawing his card. "I think I'll start things off by bring my Psychic Armor Head back from the graveyard. Next I'll stir things up by playing this magic card. Go, Phoenix Gravitation! This card let me build a suit of armor with parts from my graveyard." Joey gives a questioning look. "It brings back 4 armor monsters back from the graveyard." Valon said disgusted that Joey still hasn't figured it out._

"_Return to me, Burning Knuckle, Jet Gauntlet, Overboost, and Active Guard!" Valon called as the 5 armor monsters reappear on the field (0 atk, raised to 500). "My ultimate weapon is back!" he shouted in triumph as the armor pieces form around him again._

"_Well I've got to say it's been fun Wheeler, but all good things must come to an end. And I'm planning to set you off with a bang right now!" Valon clutches Burning Knuckle as its atk increases to 1500._

_Joey chuckled. "Your helmet must be on too tight, 'cause you forgot all about the two face down cards I played. And now for the first one, Graverobber! Now take a guess which card he stole from your graveyard!"_

"_Show me!" Valon demanded. Wheeler had better not have found out about the weakness of my Active Guard!_

"_It's Big Bang Blow!" Joey announced, as Big Bang Blow (0 atk) appears on his side of the field._

"_NO!" Valon screamed. Damn you Wheeler! You DID figure it out! My Active Guard doesn't protect me against ARMOR monster card effects, so if I launch an attack now, all of the monsters on the field would be destroyed, and the total number of atk pts would get deducted from our LP, which means if I attack, we'd both take 6000 pts of damage. Clever move._

"_And now for my next trap card. It's called Take One Chance. It randomly transfers a random card from my graveyard right to the field, the rest is up to fate." Joey announced. Please Mai, I need your support on this. I know you'll help me defeat him, I have to!_

_I'm out of moves, there's no card in my hand that can get rid of Big Bang Blow without attacking, which I cannot do now. "Then go." Valon said, sighing in dismay._

_There's only one card that can save me now, Joey thought as he drew his card. "The Claw of Hermos!"_

_Of all the cards in his graveyard, why did it have to be that one? Valon thought angrily._

"_But wait, I'm not done yet. Here comes the best part, 'cause now, I'm merging my two cards together!" Joey announced as a piece of armor appeared on his armor suit. "Presenting Big Bang Dragon Blow! So how do you like that? I took your weapon and made it better."_

"_Just when I think you're at the end of your rope, you come back with something like this! I've never fought a duel like this in my life! You're pushing me to be my best, and that will make my victory all the more rewarding, so give me your best shot!" Big mistake Wheeler, Valon thought confidently. Big Bang Dragon Blow is an equip magic card, which means my Active Guard will protect me against it. You armor suit, on the other hand, only has 100 atk pts, compared to my 1500 atk pt Burning Knuckle. So once I destroy it, I win._

"_You got it!" Joey said, flying in for the attack as Valon also flies in for an attack. The collision of the two fists send a pillar of light hundreds of feet high._

"So _that_ was what was happening," Tea said, realizing. "I first saw the pillar of light, and wondered what was going on."

"Exactly." Hermos replied. "That was the final move between Joey and Valon, which explained why Timaeus was glowing in your hand, Yami."

_"You can't win! I got the power of my dragon behind me!" Joey said, struggling to push Valon's fist back._

"_You're pretty good Wheeler, but not good enough! I'm afraid it's all over!" Valon said, beginning to push Joey's fist back. This duel ends now, he thought. In a few seconds, Wheeler's suit will be destroyed, and I will walk away with a victory to Mai._

"_It's time to activate Big Bang Dragon Blow's special effect!" Joey announced, as his Red Eyes Black Dragon disappears from the field. "By sacrificing my Red Eyes, I made my armored fist even more powerful. Now it's able to destroy all your monsters and subtract their strength from your LP" Joey shouted, as he pushed Valon back from the attack. Now, this better work, he thought. Big Bang Dragon Blow still has Big Bang Blow's special ability, and if my assumption is correct, then his Active Guard can't protect him this time like it did with my Rocket-Hermos Cannon, which means he will make 3500 pts of damage._

_Valon is hurled back, his armor destroyed. (Valon's LP: 0) "You did it, you won. Congratulations." He said weakly as he sinks to his knees and turns to Mai. "Goodbye."_

"_It's my fault." Mai said in horror as she approached the edge of the seal. I caused this to Valon, she thought sadly. I should have challenged Wheeler. Now Valon's about to pay for my mistake._

"_Don't be silly Mai, I caused my own downfall. I thought if I won I could make you forget about Joey Wheeler." Valon said as the Aura Armor suit dissolved around Joey. "But now I understand why he meant so much to you. The guy's got heart."_

"_Valon, wait…." Mai said gently and sadly as she touched the edge of the seal._

_Valon then turns to Joey. "Hey Wheeler, it's up to you now to save Mai."_

_So, the seal DOES have a weakness, Joey thought as he bowed his head in respect to Valon. The person who plays it WILL see his or her wrongs if he or she loses. But I'm not sure I want that with Mai. There must be another way._

"_VALON!" Mai cried as Valon collapsed on the ground. The seal shrank around him and took his soul away._

"_Valon, come back…….Valon." Mai wept, falling to her knees, cradling Valon in her arms. Don't leave me Valon, she thought, I still need you._

_It's already working, Joey thought. The Orichalcos control is already beginning to slip when she saw Valon die before her eyes. "It's too late, the Orichalcos has him now." he said gently._

_Mai softly wept, remembering what Valon said to her._

_Flashback: Valon and Mai on a road before Valon dueled Rebecca and Duke._

"_I know that deep down you feel the same way I do Mai, that's why we found each other. You're just like me, lonely and misunderstood. That's why we need each other."_

_End of flashback_

"_Hey Mai, we'll get him back." Joey insisted, hoping to weaken the Orichalcos control over her even more._

"_How could he do this?" Mai asked sadly, setting Valon down. "Valon is the one who told me you had to duel for yourself. Then he turns around to fight you to protect me! How pathetic. He deserved this."_

_Strange, Joey thought, I thought my plan was working. "Look Mai, Valon realized what he told you was wrong. He found out what dueling was REALLY about: determination and heart. He fought like a true duelist today."_

"You got to hand it to him Mai," Hermos said. "Joey is not the type of person who respects opponents who beat him into _that_ kind of a condition, especially when he's fighting for someone else. Valon did change his ways."

"Well Mai, it looks like while you cared about Joey very deeply, it's clear you also had feelings for Valon." Tristan observed. "If not, you wouldn't be acting the way you did."

_"I thought you WANTED to destroy him." Mai said standing up, as the seal appears on her forehead._

"_Hold on, Valon may have annoyed me, but NO ONE deserves to have his soul taken away, and then held captive by some power-hungry psychopath! I don't care who they are!" Joey protested, but received no change in expression from Mai._

_It's clear I'll need more than words to break the control, Joey thought. In that case, let's try this again. "You know what Mai? I realize something now. As long as that Orichalcos thing has control over your mind, I'll NEVER be able to talk any sense into you. As a matter of fact, the only way I can save you at this point is to DUEL you, so what do you say?"_

"Joey, what do you think you're doing?" Tea cried. "You can barely even stand. Have you lost your _mind?_"

"I thought you knew how he felt about Mai." Hermos answered. "Why else do you think the duel even took place?"

_"I see, so you beat this loser and it's gone to your head?" Mai sneered, leaving Valon lying against the fence._

"_It isn't like that Mai." Joey tried to explain, but Mai cut him off._

"_Why else would you be dumb enough to challenge me to a duel? You should have learned your lesson from our last match." Mai insisted._

_Yeah, well this time I'm going to find out just which is truly the stronger one: the Orichalcos' spell, or our friendship. Joey thought. "The only way I can get through to you is by dueling you." he repeated, activating his duel disk._

"_If you say so." Mai said, also activating her dark duel disk._

"_Let's duel!" both Mai and Joey shouted. (Joey's LP: 4000. Mai's LP: 4000)_

"_I'm even going to let you go first Mai." Joey said, hoping to catch on to her strategy quickly._

"_Big mistake. Watch this!" Mai replied, drawing her card. "I call by Cyber Harpy to the field, in atk mode of course. That's all for now." she said as her harpy appeared on the field (1800 atk)._

"_I hoped you'd say that." Joey said as he begins to draw his card. But then his arms began to tremble. Man, he thought. That last duel really did a number on me. I'm exhausted. I can barely draw my card!_

"_This should keep your harpies busy, I play Blue Flame Swordsman, and I'll put him in atk mode!" Joey said as the warrior appeared on the field (1800 atk). This isn't good, Joey thought as his vision begins to go blurry. I'm so weak I can't even see straight, but no matter what, I got to stay on my feet and finish this duel. "Mai, it's your move." he called weakly._

"I don't understand you Joey," Tristan exclaimed in disbelief. "If you're so weak from the last duel, why are you even continuing this duel?"

"That," Hermos answered, "comes from Orichalcos control over you, Mai." He turned to Mai. "Would you _really_ have let him walk away back then if he didn't challenge you?"

Mai didn't know what to say. While every part of her now would have rushed Joey to a hospital right away, she just didn't know what she would have done back then, before Joey broke the spell over her.

_"You just played a monster with the same atk strength as my harpy and you ended your turn." Mai said, unimpressed. "You'd better not be taking it easy on me again Wheeler! I want a REAL duel!"_

"_This duel IS real, believe me." Joey replied, pointing to Mai. "Nobody's going easy on anybody anymore! Actually, I'm doing just the opposite now. Mai, I'm fighting you with all my heart and soul. It's the only way to save you."_

"_Try saving yourself, I'm doing just fine without your help." Mai said, chuckling. "Didn't you learn? If you cramp my style you end up in a world of hurt!"_

"You know," Hermos said, turning to Mai. "What's most surprising about that is that was how you were _before_ you were under the influence of the Orichalcos."

"That's true," Mai admitted, "but please believe me, I'm not like that anymore." she spoke, her entire body trembling.

_"I understand everything now, Mai." Joey said sadly. "You forgot what dueling was all about, so I'm here to remind you about the heart of the cards."_

_Mai grimaced. "If you think you're going to teach me a lesson about duel monsters then you're wasting your time and my time." She said angrily, drawing her card. "Now then, for my next maneuver, I decided to double your fun with another Cyber Harpy in atk mode!" A second harpy appears on the field (1800 atk) next to the first one. "Then I'll play my Arrow Nail magic card. It give my Cyber Harpy an extra 300 atk pts." She announced as her first Cyber Harpy's atk increases to 2100. "Cyber Harpy, attack his Flame Swordsman with Shadow Nail Slice!"_

_Cyber Harpy destroys Blue Flame Swordsman. (Joey's LP: 3700) This is too easy, Mai thought, now I can take another 1800 LP from him with my other harpy._

"_As soon as Blue Flame Swordsman is destroyed, his special ability activates!" Joey announced, as the original Flame Swordsman (1800 atk) appears on the field. "Now the original Flame Swordsman is automatically summoned in its place!"_

"_What's it going to be?" Joey taunted. "My swordsman is waiting. Is your Cyber Harpy ready to dance, or should I assume she'd prefer to sit this one out instead?" Come on Mai, launch an attack, Joey thought._

"_Do you think I'm that dumb?" Mai asked, rolling her eyes. "Both of our monsters have the same number of atk pts so they'd both be destroyed! I place a card face down and end my turn. Your move!" she challenged, as a card appeared face down on the field._

_She didn't take my bait, Joey thought. And with two harpies on the field, Mai's got the clear advantage. I need a strategy, and I need it quick! I've got a bad feeling I've seen that face down card before Joey thought, as he recalls Mai using Harpy Lady Sparrow Formation._

_Last time I dueled Mai, I was letting her beat me because I didn't want her to get hurt, but it completely backfired. Joey thought grimly as his vision go out of focus again. So this time, I'm giving it all I've got._

_Joey looked on at Mai. Last time the Orichalcos' control over her didn't even waver until I reduced her down to 450 LP. It's clear she's still afraid of losing, and that will be how I'm going to free her from the spell._

"So _that's_ why he continued despite his injuries," Mai observed in pain. "He wanted to free my heart." She sank to her knees, sobbing.

_"I sacrifice Flame Swordsman so I can summon Cyber-tech Alligator in atk mode!" As the hologram (2500 atk) appears on the field, Joey give another order, "Cyber-tech Alligator, attack Cyber Harpy!" as Mai's powered up Cyber Harpy is destroyed. (Mai's LP: 3600)_

"_Not too bad," Mai said, chuckling. "Finally you're giving me a real challenge. But you're going to have to do better than that because before my Arrow Nail goes to the graveyard it's transferring its power to my other Cyber Harpy." She pointed to her second harpy, whose atk increases to 2100._

"_Fine! I place one card face down! Give me your best shot!" Joey challenged. In fact, Joey thought, play the Seal of Orichalcos for all I care. That will also be part of my strategy._

"Have you completely _lost it_ Joey?" Yami shouted in disbelief. "Why are you so eager to put your soul on the line?"

"Look at it this way, Yami." Hermos replied. "As soon as Mai draws that card she was going to play it anyway, so there's really no point trying to avoid it."

_"You're pretty confident for someone who's about to lose. Now stand back, my move!" Mai mocked, drawing the Seal of Orichalcos. "I drew it: The Seal of Orichalcos!" Mai inserts the card into her dark duel disk, as the seal began to descend from the sky._

_You can't scare me with it THIS time Mai! Joey thought, as the seal encircled both of them. Not after what I just went through with Valon._

"_We're both locked in the seal, and only one of us will escape!" Mai announced, her eyes turning red. "No one can come to your rescue now. It's just you, me and the most powerful magic card that's ever been created!"_

"_I know. I was expecting this." Joey replied, not surprised. Now that the Seal of Orichalcos is on the field, the evil that controls Mai just got 10 times stronger. But I know the REAL Mai is in there somewhere, and I'm going to set her free, no matter what it takes, Joey thought._

"No matter what it takes?" Tea repeated, horrified. "Hermos, does that include giving his soul?"

"Very observant Tea." Hermos answered. "Just keep watching and you'll understand."

_"All right, now I summon another Cyber Harpy, that's two if you're keeping score!" Mai shouted as a second harpy appeared on the field (1800 atk). "And thanks to my shiny new magic card, each of my harpies gets an extra 500 atk pts now," she announced as the two harpies' atk increase to 2300 and 2600 respectively._

"_Harpy attack!" Mai ordered. "Tear his alligator to shreds with Shadow Nail Slice!" as Joeys monster is destroyed. (Joey's LP: 3600) "And now, it's monster #2's turn!"_

"_Hold your harpies," Joey said calmly, activating his face down card. "Go scapegoat!" Four scapegoat tokens appear on the field. "You'll have to go through them to get to me!" Now, he thought, if I know Mai's dueling strategies the way I think I do, then that face down card of hers is most likely her Nightmare Tri-Mirror trap card. But unlike last time, this strategy won't work so effectively._

"_You use that card every duel, so forgive me for not being shocked." Mai taunted, activating her face down card. "Reveal trap card: Nightmare Tri-Mirror. It casts a reflection of your 4 scapegoats," she explained. "After that it transforms that reflection into 4 new monsters on my side of the field. That means thanks to you, I now have 4 more Cyber Harpies to add to my flock!" as 4 Cyber Harpies (1800 atk, raised to 2300) appear on the field._

"_Cyber Harpy, crush his scapegoat token!" Mai ordered, as one of Joey's scapegoats is destroyed. "Lucky for you, my 4 new harpies can't attack until next turn, so I'll take a break, for now. But you'd better think of some new tricks Wheeler, because I've seen all of your moves before. You hear me?"_

"_Loud and clear. Don't worry, I got a few new twists planned." Joey replied, still calm despite his injuries and the threat of the seal on the field._

"_You should know by now your bluffs don't work on me!" Mai taunted. "You're going down, and I'm going straight to the top. There's nowhere to run, Wheeler."_

_Don't worry, Joey thought. I don't plan on running away. I'm going to keep fighting until I break through to you Mai, or lose my soul trying._

"So as you can see Tea," Hermos spoke up. "Joey had no intention of walking away, not that he could due to the seal, but you get my point." He turned to Mai, still on her knees and weeping. "He was going to continue the duel until you came to your senses."


	7. Chapter 7

sorry for the extended wait everyone. But now this story is back up and running. One last reminder, I'm not the author of the story, that honor belongs to a friend of mine named Ragnarok. Also please review and tell us what you think. Now onto the story

* * *

Chapter 7 

_Joey's entire body was trembling. The injuries from Valon are beginning to take a toll of me, he thought. And the duel has barely even started. I just hope I can knock sense into Mai quickly._

"_What's wrong, Wheeler? Are my harpies too much to handle?" Mai taunted, knocking Joey out of his thoughts._

"_Why don't YOU try fighting two duels in a row!" Joey countered angrily._

"_Boo woo. Quit making excuses and duel!" Mai demanded. "Or you'll end up like Valon." Mai gestured to Valon, who's lying unconscious against the fence._

"_Man, I REALLY miss the old Mai." Joey said sadly, drawing his card. "I summon my Swordsman of Landstar in defense mode!" A tiny creature-like swordsman appears on the field (1200 def)._

"_I'm shaking." Mai said sarcastically._

"_Yeah, well you should be." Joey insisted, trying to insert cards into his magic/trap zone. "'Cause I'm not done. I place two cards face down and end my turn." Let's see you anticipate THIS, Joey thought, as his vision goes blurry again. I'm in worse shape than I thought. That last duel really wiped me out, as Joey recalls Valon using his Extinction Fist to destroy Joey's Lord of the Red. But it's not over yet, Joey thought desperately. I WILL achieve what I came here to do!_

"_So you brag about your new monster and then end your turn without using it? How lame." Mai observed, disgusted._

"_I'm just waiting for the right time." Joey explained, shrugging his shoulders._

"_That is so typical, Wheeler. You put on this tough guy show for everyone, when deep down you're nothing but a scared little kid. Do you honestly think you can win this duel?" Mai mocked._

I was wrong Joey, Mai thought sadly as she watched the duel. You're much stronger than that. You were my hero. You still are. _I_ was the frightened one, and I didn't realize it then like I do now.

_That depends on how far I have to go to break the Orichalcos' control over you Mai, Joey thought. "That depends." He began to explain._

"_Depends on what?" Mai demanded._

"_It depends on what you mean when you say the word 'win'. 'Cause to me, winning is about more than cards and LP." Joey explained._

"_Please, spare me." Mai said as she looked away, not willing to hear anymore._

"_When I first met you, you told me all you cared about was yourself." Joey went on, ignoring Mai's unwillingness to listen. "You also said because of that, you had no friends. We told you, you should hang out with us."_

_Flashback: Mai camping with Yugi, Joey, and the others near a campfire and Mai walking away from the dueling platform after being defeated by Yami._

"_And after we fought side by side," Joey continued, "I thought you found something more important than winning: a little something called friendship. But I guess I was wrong. Or maybe, you just forgot."_

"_Oh save it," Mai countered, annoyed. "I've come way too far to turn back now!"_

"_But Mai-" Joey began, but Mai cut him off._

"_I've had enough of your lecture! Time to destroy you! Your mine!" Mai shouted, unwilling to listen anymore as the seal glowed brighter on her forehead._

_Hmmm, Joey thought, the Orichalcos' control IS weakening. That brighter glow must mean its using more of its strength to try and maintain control of the situation. "Look Mai, just know: I'll always stand by you no matter what, and I'll never forget our friendship, now go!"_

"_I WILL!" Mai shouted furiously. "You're done! Cyber Harpy, attack his Swordsman of Landstar!"_

_Not THIS time you don't Mai, Joey thought as the Cyber Harpy closed in on his monster. "Hold on! Reveal face down card: My Double Magical Arm Bind! This card allows me to sacrifice two of my own monsters in order to gain control of two of YOUR monsters!" Joey explained, as two of scapegoats transform into claws, and yank two of Mai's cyber harpies to Joey's side of the field._

_That won't help you, Wheeler, Mai thought. "I still have two Cyber Harpies left. So ladies, do your thing!" Mai ordered as her remaining harpies launches an attack._

_Forgetting my other face down card already Mai? I told you I had new tricks this time, Joey thought. "Hold on, I'm not done yet. I reveal my trap card known as Vow of Tribe! As long as this card's in effect, if the same monsters are standing on both sides on the field, they can't attack. And since two of your cyber harpies belong to me at the moment, that means all six of them are useless, now what do you say to that?" Joey asked triumphantly._

"_Well, nice move." Mai admitted in defeat. Clever Wheeler, she thought. You weren't joking about having new tricks up your sleeve this time. Nevertheless, all you can do is delay the inevitable. I still have the upper hand here after all._

_All right, Joey thought, let's try this again. "You mean that Mai? Well I wouldn't be this good of a duelist without you. You've always pushed me to be my best."_

_How can he still feel that way about me, Mai wondered, confused. After everything I put him through, why doesn't he give into his anger like everyone else? I could NEVER be like that. Maybe Wheeler really is different._

"It's working." Tea observed, turning to Mai. "Joey's efforts _are_ beginning to weaken to Orichalcos' spell over you, Mai."

_Flashback: Mai recalls Valon telling her that Joey has heart, and how Joey said he's fighting her with all his heart and soul._

_So maybe Valon WAS right, Mai thought in disgust. That just gives me all the MORE reason to crush Wheeler. And if he really duels with his soul, then I'll just have to take his soul away. "It's all over for you!" Mai insisted angrily._

"Okay, maybe not." Tea said in dismay as the image showed Mai returning to the dark side.

"From the black and white perspective, you're right Tea." Hermos replied. "But Joey's actions are indeed weakening the Orichalcos spell." He then turned to Mai. "The stone around your neck is glowing brighter, as is the seal on your forehead. This indicates that the Orichalcos is realizing that its current spell strength is too weak to hold out much longer, and is drawing more from the stone in order to maintain control of the situation at hand."

"_Your move Wheeler, your last move." Mai challenged, seeing Joey panting from his injuries._

_She may not admit it, but Mai can't fool me. I know deep down, she values our friendship. I just have to remind her, because we've been through WAY too much together, and I won't let her throw that away, Joey vowed._

"_I'm not done yet!" Joey said, drawing his card. If I can't get through to you with my words, then I'll do it with my monsters, he thought. "I think I'll sacrifice the two cyber harpies I got from you, plus my Swordsman of Landstar."_

"_What are you up to Wheeler?" Mai demanded as the three monsters disappeared from the field._

"_Now," Joey announced, "meet Gilford the Lightning!" The 2800 atk pt warrior appears on the field and roars. "Whenever Gilford the Lightning is summoned to the field by sacrificing three monsters, it destroys every monster on my opponents' side!" Joey explained. "Gilford, attack!" He ordered as the 4 harpies on Mai's side of the field are destroyed._

"_Now, it's time for my Gilford to attack your LP directly!" Joey announced._

_Impossible! Mai thought. No opponent has ever struck my LP directly since I joined DOOM! Actually, that's not entirely true. Wheeler DID succeed in doing so in the Industrial Illusions building, but that was because he used his legendary dragon against me. This is the first time someone attacked my LP directly under normal conditions, and you won't get away with it, Wheeler!_

_Gilford launches its lightning, and Mai is hurled back to the seal's wall. (Mai's LP: 800)_

"_See that? Joey Wheeler's got plenty of fight left in him!" Joey insisted. Actually, I'm beginning to run out of strength, he thought, but Mai's LP is pretty low right now. I wonder if she'll start to shake again like last time. Hopefully she will, but most likely, she won't._

"_That may be, but do you have enough?" Mai asked laughing as she stood back up. "I doubt it, Wheeler. Besides, it's my turn now. For starters, I'll play this: the Card of Sanctity! Now both players have to draw until we are holding six cards in our hands, so that means you draw too brainiac!"_

"_Fine!" Joey countered, drawing four cards. Not exactly my best draw, but still a decent one, he thought._

"_Well? Draw anything worth using?" Mai taunted._

"_I guess you'll have to wait and see, won't you?" Joey replied. I didn't draw Hermos, but THESE should help, he thought._

_All right, time to make my move whether he drew his legendary dragon or not, Mai thought. "I activate my magic card: Monster Reborn to bring back my Cyber Harpy!" she announced as her harpy reappears on the field (1800 atk, raised to 2300). "But one's never enough, so next I'll activate my Elegant Egotist! This magic card multiplies my Cyber Harpy by three!" as two additional harpies appear on the field (1800 atk, raised to 2300)._

_This is getting VERY annoying now, Joey thought in disgust, as Mai holds up another card. "Man, how many harpies do you have in that deck?"_

"_You might want to pay attention to this," Mai called getting Joey's attention. "I activate one more magic card: Harpy Lady Phoenix Formation! Since I have three harpies on the field, this card destroys up to three of your monsters, and once your pathetic creatures are history, their total number of atk pts get subtracted from your LP! And now, take this!" Mai ordered as the blue phoenix bird destroys Gilford and the last scapegoat._

_Joey staggered from the burn as the blue phoenix hit him. (Joey's LP: 800). "One more attack and this duel is over!" Mai announced, laughing evilly._

"PLEASE STOOOOOOOOOOOP!" Mai screamed, turning her head away from the image, the pain becoming near unbearable for her. When she saw Joey get scorched by her Phoenix Formation, she felt her own heart get scorched, with a force 10 times stronger than what she did to Joey.

"Hermos, Mai _does_ have a point. Why are you continuing to show these images?" Tea asked. "It's clear the pain is becoming too much for her."

"I think a better question is why is Joey still trying to break the spell?" Tristan asked angrily, pointing to the image. "You can clearly see his efforts aren't even coming close!"

"That thought _did_ cross my mind during that duel." Hermos replied, then turned to Mai. "I wondered why Joey would put his feelings for you ahead of the fate of the world. At the beginning of the duel, I didn't know just what he saw in you. But by the end, while I still don't quite see it, I do see a bigger part of the picture. Mai, you have to know how Joey felt during the _entire_ duel. That includes the ending. Now keep watching."

_Your Phoenix Formation doesn't frighten me Mai, Joey thought, struggling to bring his head up from the attack. It's not like I haven't experienced it before or anything similar._

_Flashback: Mai using the Phoenix Formation on Joey's Panther Warrior in the Industrial Illusions Building._

_I've been hit by it before, so it's nothing new, Joey thought._

_Flashback: Marik transforming the Winged Dragon of Ra into its phoenix form and striking Joey with it as Joey screamed in pain._

_Oh, and let's not forget when Marik tried to kill me with Ra when I was fighting to save you—again, Joey thought. No matter, now that both of us only have 800 LP remaining, it'll make things easier for me to break through to Mai. I must fight on. The real Mai in there is still not responding, and I have to make that happen!_

"_Wow, that was an awesome move." Joey congratulated, still staggering from the blow. "You may be under an evil spell, but you haven't lost your touch, Mai. You're still one the greatest duelists that I know. Sure I'm about to pass out, but this is fun." And to a degree, he thought, it really is. Nevertheless, I'm still standing by my word. I'm going to keep this up until Mai snaps out of it._

"_Just knock it off!" Mai snapped, as the seal on her forehead glowed brightly again. "I'm not falling for your friendship scheme, so skip the cutesy stuff and make your move!"_

"Actually Mai," Hermos observed, "you already were at that moment. Notice the seal on your forehead glowing brightly again? It means the Orichalcos realized that Joey is weakening its hold over you _again,_ and it was drawing more power from the stone to regain control."

"I did feel it," Mai admitted, sobbing. "In that moment I did feel strange. I just never knew…" she trailed off.

_I'm very low on strength now, Joey thought, shaking his trembling hand and drawing the Claw of Hermos. I need something useful NOW. The Claw of Hermos, man are you a sight for sore eyes! Now I can get a strong monster onto the field again._

"_First I'll activate my Warrior Returning Alive!" Joey announced. "This card allows me to transfer a warrior from the graveyard back to my hand, and I choose my Blue Flame Swordsman!" as the swordsman reappears on the field (1800 atk). "Then I think I'll lay this magic card on you. It's called Dark Dragon Ritual!"_

"_Ladies and gents, sit back and enjoy the show as I make Gearfried the Iron Knight disappear!" Joey announced as a ritual platform appears on the field. "Then watch as my Knight of Dark Dragon suddenly materializes!" A second warrior appears in its place (1900 atk), engulfed in dark lights._

_What does this fool think he's doing? Mai thought. It's no match for my harpies, so I'll win next turn. All the better._

"_But my trick's not over yet!" Joey continued, snapping Mai out of her thoughts. "Now, with a flick of my wrists, I'll make this new monster disappear before your very eyes, letting me conjure up something even more powerful. How about a warm welcome for my Red Eyes Black Dragon?" The Red Eyes Black Dragon (2400 atk) appears on the field and roars at Mai._

"_You think you're so hot, but too bad your Red Eyes can't attack this turn!" Mai shouted. And by the time it could, she thought, I'll already have won the duel._

"_I've got something else I'm planning to attack you with now: The Claw of Hermos!" Joey replied as the red dragon appears on the field next to his Red Eyes._

_Mai shuddered for a second. Last time I faced his legendary dragon, he took away 3150 of my LP in only two moves, she thought. But no matter, my deck is stronger now, and that dragon of his can only delay his downfall this time._

"_But before I attack, I'll combine Hermos with my Red Eyes to form Red Eyes Black Dragon Sword, the perfect weapon for my swordsman! Now he's even stronger!" Joey explained as Blue Flame Swordsman picks up the sword, his attack rising to 2800._

"_Blue Flame Swordsman, attack her Cyber Harpy with your dragon sword!" Joey ordered as Blue Flame Swordsman slices one of Mai's Cyber Harpies in half. (Mai's LP: 300) "Then I'll place two cards face down and it's back to you." Joey concluded, but staggers again from pain and exhaustion as his vision goes out of focus once again. I've got to pull through this, he thought. I'm almost there._

"Hermos, tell me something." Yami asked. "Just what did Joey think he was going to do if he couldn't break the Orichalcos' spell over Mai? I'm sure that thought _did_ occur to him."

"It did," Hermos confirmed, "but only in the very back of his head. He was very narrow-minded during that duel, which was actually a good thing in that situation. He absolutely refused to believe his efforts couldn't accomplish even the slightest thing. Just keep watching and you'll see for yourself."

"_Not bad, dork." Mai said, unimpressed. "But your flame swordsman is only as strong as his weapon, right? So this card's going to destroy it!" she shouted, activation Harpy's Feather Duster. "Go, Harpy's Feather Duster!" The wind sweeps Joey's side of the field, and the Red Eyes Black Dragon sword and his two face down cards are destroyed, and Blue Flame Swordsman's atk returned to 1800._

_Now his flame swordsman is defenseless against my harpies, and his LP are wide open to an attack, Mai thought. Time to blast him out of my life forever._

_I knew you'd do that Mai, Joey thought. But I also know you're a fancy duelist, which means you'll want to end the duel the same way you did when you beat Pegasus, with Harpy Lady Phoenix Formation. That worked twice before, once in the Industrial Illusion building and the other less than 5 minutes ago. Unfortunately for you, it won't work a third time._

"_Activate Spell Reproduction!" Mai announced. "Now all I have to do is get rid of two magic cards from my hand, and then I can bring back another magic card from my graveyard, like this!" she explained, as Harpy Lady Phoenix Formation returns to her hand._

"_You're about to play you Phoenix Formation right? So what are you waiting for?" Joey challenged._

"_Nothing." Mai replied. "You're absolutely right. I'm going to finish you off with a little phoenix action! Now your swordsman's atk pts get subtracted from your LP!" as her two harpies destroy Blue Flame Swordsman._

_You should have thought about the possibility of my Blue Flame Swordsman having multiple special abilities Mai, Joey thought, as Blue Flame Swordsman's atk decreases to 0._

"_What!?" Mai exclaimed in disbelief as Joey's LP remained at 800. "But why didn't you lose any pts?"_

"_I did tell you about flame swordsman's special effect, right?" Joey asked rhetorically. "I can automatically transfer its atk pts to any other monster on the field that I choose, so…"_

"_So you chose to give them to my harpy." Mai said, realizing what Joey just pulled as one of her harpy's atk increases to 4100._

"_Yep. All his pts are hers." Joey confirmed. "And since I reduced my swordsman's strength to 0, I didn't lose any LP when you zapped him. Plus, whenever Blue Flame Swordsman is destroyed, I can summon the original Flame Swordsman in its place!" Orange flame shoot up from the ground, as Flame Swordsman appears on the field (1800 atk)._

"_And just what do you think you're doing giving my harpy your monster's atk pts?" Mai demanded. This is ridiculous for him to pull such an act, she thought. Now that my harpy has 4100 atk pts, there's not a monster in Wheeler's deck that can stand up to it, so I'll win next turn._

"_Now Mai," Joey explained. "You might think I was stupid to give your Cyber Harpy another 1800 atk pts. That may well be, but it was the only way I could stay in the duel. Furthermore, remember that you can't attack the same turn you activated Harpy Lady Phoenix Formation. And with no cards left in your hand, you have no choice but to end your turn. So much for your unstoppable combo and game winning card."_

_I hate to admit it, Mai thought, but Wheeler is right about that. I DID just waste my best card, but I'll still win this duel and blast him out of my life._

"_But remember," Joey continued, snapping Mai out of her thoughts. "YOU have the strongest monster now. How you use it is completely up to you. But like I said before, you're one of the greatest duelists I know, and I'm sure you're going to make the right decision."_

"Some right decision _that_ turned out to be!" Tristan said through gritted teeth, turning to Mai. "Joey put his faith in you to do the right thing, and _this_ is what you end up doing!"

"Tristan, keep watching the duel." Hermos said gently. "It'll end in just one more round. After that, you can finally make the decision if Mai is truly a heartless person or not."

"_Because Mai, underneath all that anger and frustration is a good person." Joey went on._

_Flashback: Mai giving Joey her entry card to duel Bandit Keith and help his sister Serenity._

"_That was a long time ago and I'm sick of taking backseat to you!" Mai shouted in annoyance._

"_I'm sorry you felt that way, but you think you're any better off now? You're still taking backseat, only now it's to some looney who promised you power!" Joey accused, pointing a finger at Mai._

_Without power, I'm nothing, Mai thought sadly, as an image of the hourglass Marik trapped her in appeared._

"_Please Mai," Joey pleaded. That sad look confirmed it, he thought. I always rejected the idea that the Orichalcos' spell killed the real you, Mai. Now I know the real you is still alive in there and fighting._

"_Sorry Wheeler. It's too late now. My fate's already been sealed, and so has yours!" Mai said fiercely._

_Joey lowered his head in dismay. The Orichalcos' spell is even stronger than I thought, he thought. In that case, I'm ending this duel right now. "All right, my move. Here goes," he said weakly, drawing his card._

_This is the only card in my hand, Joey thought. So no matter what happens, the duel ends this turn. Looking at the card, he sighed. Skull Dice, this card will definitely end the duel this turn. I could just switch my swordsman into defense mode, but then Mai might not be tempted to attack it, so I'll keep him in attack mode._

"_I'll place one card face down on the field now." Joey said, sliding the Skull Dice card into the slot. "I'm done, so give me your best shot!" he challenged, but can barely stay on his feet._

_This is a major gamble, a voice popped into Joey's mind. Mai will attack with her 4100 atk pt harpy. You realize that your LP will go down to 0 if that dice lands on a 1 or 2, right?_

_I'm fully aware of that! Joey countered._

_And are you also aware that if the dice lands on a 3 or higher, Mai's LP will drop to 0? The voice asked._

_I am, but it's all up to fate now, Joey answered._

_And supposed the dice DOES land on a 3 or higher. Just what will you do then? The voice questioned._

_If that happens, then I'll get her to a hospital right away, even if means I have to carry her for miles to make that happen, Joey replied to the voice. I'll take care of her and look after her. But I will never give up on her. If absolutely necessary, I won't even leave her side until she DOES wake up._

"He still cared," Mai whispered between the tears. "Even after everything I did to him in that duel, that's what he would have done for me if I lost."

"_Let's end this, right now." Mai said egotistically, with a toss of her hair. "Cyber Harpy, destroy his Flame Swordsman with your Virtual Slash Attack, and wipe out Wheeler's LP!"_

_This better work, Joey thought as the Cyber Harpy approached. "No, reveal my face down card: Skull Dice! Time to lower your monster's atk pts!" Joey announced as the Skull Dice falls to the ground, landing on a two. "Look's like your Cyber Harpy's strength just got cut in half." It's still the stronger monster, Joey thought, but now Mai can't take away my LP unless she attacks with her other harpy, as her attacking harpy's atk decreases to 2050._

"_She's still stronger than your swordsman!" Mai insisted, as Flame Swordsman is destroyed. (Joey's LP: 550) "And now to wipe out the rest of your LP!"_

_And now, Joey thought, it's time for the moment of truth. Now I will finally find out what I wanted to find out before the duel even began._

"_Cyber Harpy," Mai ordered, "attack him—" but then stopped her hand in midair, her arm trembling._

_I can't do it! What's my problem, Mai thought, confused and shocked. This is a no-brainer. If I blast him I'll win the duel, and he'll be gone forever. One attack and I can finally move on with my life._

_Flashback: Joey giving her back her star chips after she was defeated by Panik, Joey catching her when she fell from a flagpole after Jean Claude Magnum tried to kidnap her, Joey trying to protect her when Marik tried to kill her with Ra, refusing to leave no matter what she said, and Joey telling her goodbye after Battle City ended._

_My past! It wasn't an illusion! It was all real! Mai realized, the sinking feeling finally settling in._

_She's hesitating, Joey thought. The seal may still be on her forehead, but she's not attacking. Hmmm, she may still call her attack, but she never would have hesitated in the first place unless………unless the Orichalcos' control over her has been weakened to the point where it can no longer suppress her memories anymore._

_A flash of light entered Joey's mind. Then my efforts paid off, Joey thought joyfully, IT WORKED._

_Of course! Mai thought, finally realizing. He was never trying to seal me away when we dueled in the Industrial Illusions Building. He wanted to get both of our LP to reach 0 at the same time, forcing the seal to leave the field without taking anyone's soul. Please Joey, she thought desperately, just hang on for a few more turns. I'll get us both out of this._

"_Congratulations, you win." Joey said weakly, smiling up at Mai. I don't have anymore strength to fight on, he thought as he began to collapse, unable to stand any longer. But that's irrelevant now. I've already achieved what I needed to achieve._

_And then, at that very moment, the ropes that chained Mai's mind and heart to the Orichalcos finally snapped._

"_JOEY! NO!" Mai screamed in anguish, running over to him. Now I understand why he couldn't stand anymore, Mai thought in agony. After the beatings he took from Valon, and then from myself when he was trying to get through to me, his endurance ran out! It should have run out long ago, the only reason he stayed standing was because he wanted to free me!_

_Thank you Mai, Joey thought smiling as he fell. I knew you'd remember our friendship in the end. Now I just have to feel the coldness of the concrete ground I'm about to land on._

_But to Joey's surprise, his face never touched the ground. As Joey tilted his head up, he saw Mai holding him in her arms. Despite the fact that the seal was still on her forehead, the angry red glare in her eyes was gone. It had returned to her normal violet colored eyes, and one look into them told Joey everything: they showed sorrow for what she did to him, and begging him for his forgiveness._

_There was only one other time I remember being in such a position, Joey thought._

_Flashback: After Mai fell on top of Joey from the flagpole, Joey was knocked unconscious. Then, when Joey regained consciousness, Mai held him back up, but dumped him back onto the ground when he made a snide remark._

_But I know Mai isn't going to dump me on the ground THIS time, Joey thought in triumph, which means the Orichalcos no longer has ANY control over her now._

"_You're wrong!" Mai cried desperately, holding Joey in her arms. "I never attacked, so you didn't lose the duel!" You can't leave me, Joey! Mai thought desperately. I need you! I can't do this without you!_

_She raised her eyes up slightly. Her eyes widened in horror. The seal was already putting on the laser show, which meant it was already starting to shrink around them._

_NO! Mai's mind screamed in terror. This is not possible! I didn't attack, the duel's not over yet! The seal isn't supposed to take anyone's soul in this situation!_

_So, Joey thought, also seeing the seal shrink around them. The seal is also a living being. No one even HAS to lose in order to it to take someone's soul. It can tell whether a duelist is still strong enough to continue or not, which does make sense. In a normal duel, if one duelist is too weak to finish, the match automatically goes to the other duelist._

"_But………..I'm too exhausted…………to finish." Joey replied weakly, knowing all too well that his soul would be taken in just a few more moments._

"_I won't let the Orichalcos take you away, Joey!" Mai cried, on the verge of tears. You have too much to live for, she realized, as images of Yugi, Tristan, and Tea, as well as Joey's sister Serenity, appeared in her mind. You have your friends, your family, and your sister to love you! I won't let you give up all of that just to keep me safe! I won't let you sacrifice yourself over someone who's not worth it!_

_I was wrong, Mai realized, as the seal continued to shrink around them, I never needed the power of the Orichalcos from the very beginning. I only needed you Joey, but I was too caught up in myself to realize it until now. You're NOT going to suffer the consequences of my mistake!_

_Like you actually have a choice in the matter, Joey thought, watching the seal shrink around them. "It's too late for that. I already lost the duel, so there's no turning back. I'm just glad that if one of us had to lose our soul it didn't have to be you, Mai." He said weakly. But why isn't she letting go of me to save herself?_

_No, Joey realized. She's going to try to trade HER soul to keep mine safe! An image of him shielding Mai from the Winged Dragon of Ra's attack appeared in his mind. That was different Mai, Joey thought. What I did back then made logical sense because I actually had a chance of surviving. An image of him being burned by Ra as Marik transformed it into its phoenix form appeared in his mind._

"_Don't say that!" Mai cried, unable to hold her tears back much longer. I was wrong about saying nobody would come to your rescue Joey, she thought. I will stay here to protect you, and I WILL make sure you get out of the seal alive!_

_What makes you so sure of that, Valentine? A voice in her head asked. You're not as experienced as the others. You don't know how to unlock the seal like Valon does. Similarly, when you joined DOOM you were only trained to TAKE souls, not RELEASE them, so you wouldn't know how to do that either like Rafael does._

_I don't care! Mai countered. The seal thinks I won, but perhaps it can't take Joey's soul until I step out of the seal. If true, then I'll NEVER step out. I'll keep holding Joey in my arms until the seal fades away!_

_And what if it doesn't? The voice asked. What if you CAN'T stop the seal from taking a soul?_

_Mai hesitated for a moment, but came back determined. Then I'll let the seal take ME instead! But no matter what happens, I WILL NOT LET JOEY DIE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!_

_Mai, don't you realize there's also a very good chance that if you don't let go me soon, the seal could take BOTH of us? Joey thought sadly as the seal's edge was now by Mai's feet. In that case, I'll just have to get the timing right._

"_Hey Mai, that was one of the greatest duels I ever fought, thank you." Joey said weakly. And if you won't change your mind about stepping out of the seal, then I'll change it for you! Maybe the seal wouldn't take both of us, but unlike you, I'm not going to take that chance, so I'm getting you out of the seal NOW!_

_With his last gesture of friendship, Joey raised his right arm…………………..and pushed Mai out of the seal. It also yanked the Orichalcos necklace off her._

_Hmmm, that wasn't part of my plan, Joey thought. But it too will help. Now that the Orichalcos stone is off her, perhaps she'll return to normal soon. Furthermore, it appears my timing was right on time. The seal is too close now, which means you can't step back in, Mai. All is as it should be. You're now free to pursue a life of true happiness, Joey thought, as the seal takes his soul away to Dartz._

"_JOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" Mai shrieked in despair at the top of her lungs. As she saw Joey's soul being pulled out of him, she felt her own heart being torn right out of her chest, then ripped to shreds._

_And at that moment, the Orichalcos stone that Joey pulled off her shattered, as the scene shows Timaeus and Critius both roar up at the sky._

_As the green lights of the Orichalcos subsided, Joey fell face down senseless to the ground, the Claw of Hermos card falling out of his hand._

"_JOEY, WAIT!" Mai cried, kneeling next to him and flipping him onto his back, tilting his face to hers. "Snap out of it! Joey, please say something! Please, wake up!" she begged, although in the back of her head, she already knew that's virtually impossible, but she refused to accept that reality. "Please, speak to me!" she cried as she shook Joey gently._

_The tears that were on the verge of falling just a few seconds ago finally fell. But it wasn't like any of the cries Mai had when she was just a kid._

_Back then, she lived a life of loneliness, and she always kept her feelings to herself. That included negative feelings, which meant she held all her tears in for virtually her whole life._

_But after seeing the one person she cared about more than anything else in the world collapse right in front of her, that barrier she held up for all those years finally cracked._

_The tears poured down her face like a giant waterfall. Every tear she had held in during her life was now coming out._

_He's not going to wake up, a voice in her head said. With his soul taken you're practically cradling a corpse in your arms. You should know by now that Joey would never trick you DELIBERATELY. This isn't like at the end of Battle City, when you tricked him into thinking your mind was still in the Shadow Realm just to see him cry, which you thought that look on his face was priceless. He isn't waking up because he can't. Just like Valon, the Orichalcos has him now._

"_This is all my fault!" Mai cried, her eyes red from the tears, which are still coming out of her with no end in sight. "I was angry and confused and I blamed all my loneliness on you, so I tried to get rid of you."_

"_How could I be so selfish?" she continued, holding Joey close to her and weeping. "You're the only one who ever cared about me! You're the closest friend I ever had and how did I repay you? By leaving you for a madman who promised me power!" I gave into my fears, my anger, my frustration, my jealousy, and my lust for power, Mai thought, picking up the Claw of Hermos, and Joey paid the ultimate price._

_Joey, I don't know if you can hear me, she mentally whispered. But if you can, I promise, no matter what it takes, I WILL bring you back. I just hope I can use the legendary dragon as well as you can. But even if I can't use it at all, I WILL set things right again. I WILL return your soul back to your body._

The screen fades to black, as Hermos deactivates the spell projection. "All right, that was everything that happened less than two hours ago. _Now_ what do you think?"


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you everyone for your reviews! Time for yet another chapter and don't forget to review again :D

* * *

Chapter 8

"Now that all of you have seen what _really_ happened," Hermos went on, "I think you can now make your judgments."

Mai was already on her knees, weeping. Tristan and Tea both had their jaws dropped, in total shock and horror. Yami had his arms folded and his eyes closed, in deep thought.

Finally, after a few moments of silence, Yami spoke up. "Hermos, Joey planned this right from the beginning, didn't he? He planned for his soul to be taken before the duel even began, didn't he?"

"Sadly, yes," Hermos replied. "You see, that was what Joey realized when he saw Mai again. You recall Valon unlocking the Seal of Orichalcos and ending the duel in the Industrial Illusions building, don't you?"

"I remember." Yami answered, recalling that event very clearly.

"Think about it, Yami," Hermos reasoned. "Since neither of them were taken by the seal then, doesn't Valon's actions count as the same thing as knocking both their LP to 0 at the same time and forcing the seal to leave the field without taking a soul?"

"Pretty much," Yami admitted, realizing what Joey was trying to do now.

"But when Joey met Mai again here, he saw that her personality remained exactly the same." Hermos continued. "Joey knew right away that _this_ time, his duel with Mai had to have a _different_ ending. Unless, of course, he could force the Orichalcos' spell over her to break. But if _that_ had happened, the seal would disappear from the field right away. In which case, the ending of the duel would become irrelevant."

Yami nodded in agreement, trying to take this all in.

"And _that_ is why he was glad none of you three came before the duel was over." Hermos continued. "If you recall Yami, the only reason he went on the fight Mai in the Industrial Illusions building was because you told him to. If you hadn't, what makes you think he would have fought on?"

"He wouldn't have." Yami admitted.

"Exactly. And had you three shown up before this duel was over, you would have persuaded him not to do it, not that I think he would have listened." Hermos reasoned.

"Why did he shove me out?" Mai asked quietly, rising to her feet. "I might have prevented him from losing his soul."

"Mai, Joey was quite right about his impression of the Orichalcos at that moment." Hermos replied, not pleased. "If you had stayed, the seal would have just drained the souls out of _both_ of you, which is a lot different from when Joey was shielding you from Ra when you dueled Marik. In _that_ situation, there's a good chance he would have survived, and saved you both. Remember, he _did_ get attacked by Ra, although your mind was in the Shadow Realm then, but you saw it yourself on the image projection. Your actions in _this_ situation, on the other hand, would have accomplished nothing."

"Mai," Tea said softly, now understanding what Mai must be going through, "you have to understand the effect you had on Joey. He wanted you to be truly happy. That is why he had to push you out. He wanted you to get what you truly wanted but never fully understood: a life of true happiness."

"He _is_ my life of happiness!" Mai screamed in agony. "All those years, I thought I had happiness in my heart, but now I realize they were all fake! Only the happiness I received from Joey was real! He meant everything to me and I couldn't even protect him!"

"You know, that leads to another matter," Hermos cut in. "Remember the horror on your face when you saw Valon and Joey beat each other to the verge of death in _their_ duel. I really wonder, Mai, just what would have happened if Valon really _did_ beat Joey? Just how would you have reacted then?"

Mai started to speak, but Hermos cut her off. "Remember Mai, no matter what feelings you had for Valon, they were nowhere close compared to those for Joey. Otherwise, you wouldn't have reacted so differently from when you saw Valon losing his soul, and when you saw Joey losing his."

"I know," Mai said in anguish. "I really don't know what would have happened if Valon won. Every part of me now would say the Orichalcos' spell over me would have broken right away, but by then……." she trailed off.

"What do _you_ think, Hermos?" Tristan asked, finally speaking up. "Personally, I don't think Mai would have changed even the slightest bit from when she was under the spell."

"You're both right to a degree," Hermos said, rubbing his chin. "On one hand I agree with Tristan. Mai, you didn't seem one bit touched after seeing all the pain Joey went through. In fact, when you saw him in his battered state and he challenged you, you didn't even blink." He then turned to Tristan. "On the other hand Tristan, you saw how Mai acted during the final moments with Joey. If you still recall everything you knew about her from when you first met her in Duelist Kingdom all the way until now, you should remember that she has a major problem showing a feeling called compassion, a person who's surface only showed coldness and anger. And because she's had it for so long, I bet that's why most people couldn't see anything underneath that."

"What are you getting at?" Tristan asked, frustrated.

"Look at it this way Tristan. If Mai had been this way for most of her life, then if should be _very_ difficult for anyone to change it, right? Now think about this: if that was true, then how could Joey break all of those barriers her held up in her life with just one duel?"

"Hermos _does_ have a point, Tristan." Tea reasoned, turning to Mai. "Mai, I think now you finally realize the effect Joey had on you the whole time, right?"

"I do," Mai said weakly. "I left him at the end of Battle City because I didn't want to believe I felt something for him. Remember, in my entire life I never truly felt loved, but that began to change after I began to know more about Joey during Battle City. I came to America because I thought those strange feelings would disappear if I left Joey. Now I understand that my feelings for him were real the whole time, and all I accomplished by coming to America was make those feelings stronger."

"And that's when Valon found you and thought he could understand you." Hermos added. "But due to the Orichalcos, Valon was misguided and saw Joey as an obstacle to being with you, Mai. So, without even realizing it, you got Valon to attempt to do the dirty work for you."

"I never wanted that!" Mai cried in denial. "And I had never pulled something like that before just to humiliate Joey!"

"On the contrary, yes you have Mai." Hermos countered. "Or don't you remember?" The Hermos card lit up again, displaying a scene from Duelist Kingdom. In the scene, Mai was accusing Joey of beating her only because Yugi and Yami gave him advice during their duel, and forcing him to duel Rex Raptor _without_ advice and tips from anyone.

Mai reeled back in shock and disbelief. She couldn't believe how cruel she was to Joey then, and how much she cared for him now.

"That was because back then Mai didn't know Joey so well, Hermos." Yami explained, trying to defend Mai.

"That's also true, Yami," Hermos nodded in agreement. "And that might explain why you challenged Joey first when you were under the influence of the Orichalcos, as well as why Valon challenged Joey. Regarding Valon, he knew you couldn't take it." A scene displayed Mai taking Pegasus's soul in his office, and then cuts to Mai reducing Joey's LP to 200 in the Industrial Illusions building.

"Valon knew from the very beginning you couldn't make such a move with Joey." Hermos continued, as a new scene showed up. "He knew you can drain his LP all you want, all the way down to 0 even, but he also knew if you saw _Joey_ get enveloped by the green lights of the Orichalcos, you would react differently compared to how you reacted with Pegasus." The scene opens up, showing Mai holding Joey in her arms as the seal shrank around them. "While Valon was not around to see it, his suspicions were indeed confirmed."

"As for why you challenged Joey first, I see two possible explanations right now." Hermos continued, not waiting for Mai to speak. Another scene lit up, showing Mai being defeated by Joey during their duel at Duelist Kingdom. "The first was the fact that you still couldn't take it. You couldn't take the fact that after all your years of dueling, you were beaten by a "16 year old goofball", and that humiliated you beyond imagination, which explained why you didn't enjoy beating other duelists anymore from that point on until you encountered Joey again." The scene switches, displaying Mai beating other duelists, but now her face showed boredom instead of pleasure. "And then when you came to America, you saw your name completely erased, and the "goofball's" name put in your place. You then became furious and wanted your title back, and that made it all the easier for the Orichalcos to corrupt you."

"That was part of the reason," Mai admitted, tears sliding down her face again. "I wanted to win so badly I didn't even care about the consequences. I didn't understand back then that every decision always comes with a consequence."

"As I said, that was only the _first_ reason." Hermos replied, as the scene switches over to the duel between Joey and Mai minutes ago. "Recall what Joey thought, Mai. He believed that no matter how strong the Orichalcos' control over you is, the _real_ you was still in there, begging him to help you."

"This also makes sense, as Joey _did_ succeed in breaking dark spells that controlled you before." Hermos continued, as another scene lit up, showing Mai chained to the Sacred Stone of Ota and Joey by her side, pleading with her to snap out of it. It then showed Mai opening her eyes, and recognizing Joey's face. The scene shifts to the other side of the field, showing Marik ordering the Winged Dragon of Ra to kill them both, furious that Joey broke his shadow spell over Mai.

"The only difference is that the power of the Orichalcos is far more powerful, and it took much more out of Joey to make the same thing happen," Hermos finished. "And now," he said, holding up the Claw of Hermos, "you want to wield this card to save Joey."

"Of course I intend to!" Mai insisted. "Are you saying that's not possible?"

"Mai, there are 3 conditions that prevent you wielding such a card." Yami explained. "First, only the chosen duelists can wield the legendary dragons. Me, Kaiba, and Joey were chosen, you were not. Second, a duelist cannot wield both the power of the legendary dragons and the Seal of Orichalcos at the same time, as that would be wielding the powers of light and darkness simultaneously."

"But the Orichalcos stone around me has been broken!" Mai cried. "I'm free from its control!"

Hermos rolled his eyes. "The shattering of the Orichalcos stone around you means nothing, Mai. All that means is the dark power of the Orichalcos left inside you has been weakened so greatly that it can't do anything to you anymore, unless you give in to your dark side again." He then turned to Yami. "Yami, I'm sure you remember a similar situation. Back on the train, Timaeus wouldn't respond to you, remember?"

"I remember," Yami replied, recalling that event clearly. "It wasn't until I was fighting the Orichalcos soldier in the "Stone Wilderness" that I was able to use it again."

"Exactly," Hermos agreed. "That was because by then, you had purged the last of the Orichalcos' magic out of you, making you pure once again."

"I see," Yami said, understanding. "Mai, the final reason is the most obvious one. You just sealed Joey away! Granted it was against your will, but it still happened! What makes you think Hermos would _ever_ respond to you?"

"My point exactly." Hermos replied, then turned to Mai. "However, Joey _did_ say he wanted you to have a life of true happiness as he pushed you out of the seal. But Joey never knew that he _was_ your life of happiness."

"Hmmm….well, I guess we could ask Joey for his opinion." Hermos concluded, picking up the card with Joey sealed in it.

"He's trapped in the seal!" Tea pointed out. "We can't get through to him!"

"The situation with Chosen Duelists is slightly different compared to others," Hermos explained, turning to Yami. "I share a special bond with Joey, just like you share a special bond with Timaeus, and just like Kaiba shares a special bond with Critius. It might be possible for me to release him from the seal for a brief amount of time, although I'm not sure I alone have enough energy to make it happen."

"Then take some of mine!" Yami exclaimed, desperate to see Joey again.

"While your energy is sufficient, it is not compatible." Hermos answered.

"Why not?" Yami asked.

"Because you did not seal him away, Mai Valentine did." Hermos replied, turning to Mai. "Mai, if you _truly_ want Joey back, your life energy will give me a better chance to release him from the seal."

"Of course I'll help! I'd give anything to see him again!" Mai cried, her eyes lighting up with the hope that she can see Joey once again.

"Mai, you do realize that even if this _does_ work, the effect is not permanent, right?" Hermos asked. "The power of the Orichalcos is far too powerful for that." He then turned to Yami. "To get Joey out of the seal _permanently,_ you'll have to confront Dartz."

"I don't care!" Mai insisted. "I need to see him again! I owe him so much, even a minute is better than nothing!"

"Very well then Mai, stand back!" Hermos ordered as he tossed the seal with Joey trapped in it onto the ground. He reached a hand out to Mai, and Mai slipped hers into it as Hermos began chanting in Atlantean.

"Joey, if you can hear me," Mai whispered. "I need you to know—I love you. I need you. I always needed you, I just didn't realize that until now. Before meeting you, my life was empty. I never even truly _lived_ before I got to know you. At Duelist Kingdom, I only wanted you out of my life. Now, I can't even imagine my life without you in it. Please, if you can hear me, know that I'm here for you, and that I'm coming to bring you back."

Mai felt her life energy being diverted, and Hermos continued to chant in Atlantean. Suddenly, the card in front of them lit up, then shot out a beam of bright light. The light was so bright that Mai, Yami, Tristan and Tea and to cover their eyes.

When the light subsided, the four of them gasped in shock: Joey's spirit was standing before them.

"I'd figured the three of you would show up sooner or later." Joey said to Yami, Tristan and Tea, folding him arms.

"It worked," Hermos announced, standing back up. "Well? What are you waiting for Mai? Now's your chance!"

"Joey!" Mai cried, running over to him. But as she reached out to embrace him, her arms go right through him.

"I have no physical form Mai." Joey rolled his eyes. "And why are you still here? I thought you'd have walked away by now."

"I couldn't Joey. I need you!" Mai cried, tears already forming in her eyes.

Joey rolled his eyes again. "Mai, I know you too well. You _always_ have other motives. I know you did not call me here just to say how sorry you are about what happened minutes ago. I know you're here to ask me for something, so skip the cutesy stuff and just tell me what you want already."

Mai's eyes widened in disbelief. How did he know, she wondered. How did Joey know I needed his help once again?

"I'm listening Mai," Joey said, his arms folded in impatience.

"Joey, please forgive me for what I did to you—" Mai began, tears flowing down her face.

"And just what good is that supposed to do me _now?"_ Joey asked angrily. "I'm still stuck in the seal you know!"

"I need your help one last time. I need your help so I can wield your legendary dragon so I can save you from wherever the Orichalcos took you. Please Joey, I need you so much!" Mai ended, already crying now.

Joey remained silent for a moment, absorbing what Mai said. "Very well Mai, we'll find that out the way it's supposed to be done." he replied, as a duel disk appears on his left arm.

"Joey, what are you doing?" Mai asked, confused.

"What does it look like?" Joey answered, rolling his eyes. "We are going to duel again Mai. Now, all you have to do is beat me, and I will accept that your heart has truly changed. And if you're truly sorry for your actions, then you _will_ accept this challenge."

"Remember Mai," Joey said, smiling for the first time. "I won't be using my legendary dragon in this duel anyway, and didn't you always think my deck was inferior to yours in every way without that dragon?"

Mai smiled back. "That thought _was_ in my mind," she replied, activating her dark duel disk. "But that doesn't mean it's still not devastating."

That's just Joey, Mai thought happily. Even in this state, he never lost his sense of humor.

"Let's duel!" Joey and Mai shouted. (Joey's LP: 4000. Mai's LP: 4000)

"Now, we'll do it the same way we did during our previous two duels. You can go first again Mai!" Joey called.

Hmmm, Joey was right on one thing, Mai thought, looking at her hand. Without the power of the Orichalcos, my draws are no longer as fortunate. But no matter, I have something stronger now: the power of friendship.

"Very well then. I summon Harpy Lady in defense mode!" Mai announced, drawing her card. As the holographic Harpy Lady appears on the field (1400 def), she activates another card. "Next I'll activate the magic card: Elegant Egotist! This card increases my one Harpy Lady into three!" Mai explained, as two more Harpy Ladies appear on the field in defense mode. "That'll give you plenty to worry about, Joey. I'll place one more card face down on the field. It's your turn!" she called.

"Feisty aren't we?" Joey asked, smiling. "You really think you can win this, don't you Mai?"

"I _will_ win this Joey!" Mai insisted. "I'm not fighting for anything this time except you! And I will bring you back! Furthermore, I'm fueled by something far stronger now: the power of friendship!"

"Mai," Joey said, rolling his eyes, "you've only had _one_ friend."

"If you put it that way, then yes," Mai admitted. I _did_ say he was my closest friend, she thought, but I've gone past that now. He's both my hero and the one person I love now.

"That's not what I meant Mai, but you'll see what I mean for yourself right now." Joey replied, as dark smoke began to swirl around him.

"Joey, what's going on?" Mai asked, alarmed. "What's happening to you?"

"I just thought you might like to see it again," Joey said, drawing his card, as his duel disk transformed into a dark duel disk.

Mai gasped in horror as she saw the broken pieces of the Orichalcos stone that Joey pulled off her from their previous duel form back together, this time around Joey's neck, and a seventh card appeared in Joey's hand.

"Playtime is over Mai!" Joey shouted, raising his card into the air. "Now I activate the Seal of Orichalcos!"


	9. Chapter 9

Wow, the reviews came in very quickly. And here's everyone's reward Remember to keep reviewing.

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Chapter 9

As the Seal of Orichalcos descended from the sky and onto the ground, Yami, Tristan, Tea, and Hermos are all hurled back and out of the seal. The Seal of Orichalcos forms the six-pointed asymmetrical star on the field, locking Joey and Mai in.

"Joey, what are you doing?" Mai cried, horrified that Joey would do such a thing. How can you do this, she thought in terror, you said it yourself that the card was pure evil! So why are you activating it?

The seal appears on Joey's forehead, and his eyes turned from a chocolate brown to an angry red. "Now the time has come for my revenge! It is time for you to pay for what you did to _ME!_ For when you lose, your soul will be sealed away, the way it should have been ages ago! _But unlike what happened in the past, NO ONE WILL SET YOU FREE THIS TIME!"_ Joey roared in anger.

I've never seen Joey act like this before, Mai observed, terrified. Is this how I was acting when _I_ played that card?

"Joey, don't you remember what you said to me during our previous duel?" Mai pleaded, hoping to talk Joey out of the duel.

"I'm fully aware of that," Joey explained. "Playing the Seal of Orichalcos doesn't wipe out my memory Mai, you should know that. I just happen to see things more clearly now."

"Joey, please!" Mai begged. "Don't go through with this! We have to stop this duel now!"

"There is no "we", Mai!" Joey shouted, as the seal glowed brighter on his forehead. "You never once cared about what happened to me! This was true long before you had the power of the Orichalcos, or don't you recall how you tried to humiliate me during Duelist Kingdom? Granted, I _did_ win the duel, but that's beside the point! You humiliated me! Made a fool out of me right in front them!" Joey continued, pointing to Yami, Tristan and Tea.

"Back then I didn't love you," Mai whispered. "I didn't understand what you gave me back then like I do now."

"Spare me your pathetic excuses!" Joey snapped, but Mai went on.

"When I first met you, you're right. I didn't think much about you." Mai explained. "But during the night we spent together at the campfire during Duelist Kingdom, I felt something I thought I could never feel: I felt the warmth of your friendship, and I know you remember it as well."

To Mai's dismay, however, Joey just rolled his eyes in disgust. "Let's just move on with the duel," Joey replied, activating another card. "Now, I play the magic card Golden Card Treasure Chest!"

"I've never heard of _that_ one before," Mai said, confused. "What does it do?"

"Consider it a generous gift Mai! This card allows me to draw two cards, but from this point on both of us are allowed to draw two cards instead of one every turn." Joey explained as he drew his cards, giving him seven cards in his hand. "Furthermore, this card cannot be sent off the field by a magic card, but then, I see no reason why you would want to destroy it anyway."

"Next," Joey announced, "I'll shake things up by playing this magic card. Go, Meteor of Destruction! This magic card does 1000 pts of damage to your LP, but will only work if you have more than 3000 LP when I activate it. And since neither of us has lost any LP yet, it'll work just fine!"

A giant red meteor comes down like a rocket from the sky, slamming right into Mai. Mai screamed in pain as the explosion knocked her off her feet and into the seal's wall. (Mai's LP: 3000)

"And now," Joey announced looking at Mai's harpies, "it's time to bring out a few monsters onto the field. You're not the _only_ one who can summon that many monsters onto the field in a single turn, Mai. Watch this!" he shouted as he places a monster card onto his dark duel disk.

"Since you currently have 3 monsters and I have none, I can automatically special summon the Fiend Megacyber to the field!" Joey explained. "And since that was my special summon, I still have my normal summon left. So, I'll summon my Marauding Captain to the field. Finally, Marauding Captain's special ability allows me to special summon a 4-star or lower monster to the field, and I choose my Hayabusa Knight! Come to the field, my monsters!" Joey ordered as the three monsters appear on the field.

"Now my monsters," Joey ordered, "enhance yourselves with the power of the Orichalcos!" Fiend Megacyber's atk strength increases from 2200 to 2700, Marauding Captain's atk strength increases from 1200 to 1700 and Hayabusa Knight's atk strength increases from 1000 to 1500.

"By the way, I hope you know that my Hayabusa Knight as the ability to attack twice in one turn Mai!" Joey taunted, seeing the horrified look on Mai's face. "And thanks to the dark magic of the Orichalcos, it is now strong enough to level your worthless bird-ladies! So, Hayabusa Knight, destroy her two Harpy Ladies!" Joey ordered.

Two of Mai's Harpy Ladies are destroyed. "Marauding Captain, destroy the last one!" Joey shouted as Mai's last Harpy Lady is destroyed. "And now, Fiend Megacyber, attack her LP directly!" as Fiend Megacyber launches its attack. Mai recoils in pain as the Fiend Megacyber punches her right in the stomach. (Mai's LP: 300)

"All right, I guess that will do for now," Joey said, as Fiend Megacyber returned to his side of the field. "Care to humor me again Mai?"

This is even worse than I thought, Mai realized. I had hoped to talk some sense into Joey as the duel went on, but he drained nearly all of my LP on his first turn! I never thought the seal could be _that_ powerful.

No, Mai thought. I will not give in to my dark side. I will not be tempted by its powers again. I have to stay true to my heart. It's what Joey would have wanted me to do.

"Not bad, eh Mai?" Joey boasted, snapping Mai out of her thoughts. "Even _you_ didn't succeed in taking away so much of my LP when we dueled in the Industrial Illusions building when you used the seal, remember?"

"Joey, please stop this duel!" Tea cried, coming over to the edge of the seal with Yami and Tristan. "You don't understand what you're doing!"

"No Tea," Yami said, holding Tea back. "Let the duel continue."

"What!?" Tristan exclaimed in disbelief. "Pharaoh, have you lost it? You know how dangerous the seal is, why are you letting the duel continue?"

"Because Tristan, while I don't know what conflicts Joey and Mai are going through, I _do_ know that finding a quick way to end the duel is not going to resolve it." Yami replied, then turned to Mai. "Mai, you have to fight on. Remember, you have the support of all of us, and don't forget, Joey would want you to fight on as well. And in case you forgot, you are _not_ fighting for yourself this time. There's something much more important for you now."

"Listen to the Pharaoh, Mai!" Joey taunted. "It'll get boring if you don't fight back, so you'd better give it all you got! It'll make my victory all the more rewarding when I watch you fail!"

I will not fail, Mai insisted to herself. I must win this duel so I can save Joey. And just like last time when he tried to free me, he knew that words couldn't even come close. He had to use his monsters to make that happen. It looks like I'll have to do the same for him.

"All right Joey, my move!" Mai called, drawing her two cards. _These_ two cards are a lifesaver, she thought. "First, I summon my Cyber Harpy to the field in atk mode!" The Cyber Harpy (1800 atk) appears next to Mai, as she activates another card. "Next, I activate my face down trap card: Gift of the Mystical Elf! This card allows me to gain 300 LP for every monster on the field, and with four monsters on the field, I get 1200 LP." (Mai's LP: 1500)

"Big deal, what else you've got?" Joey asked, not impressed by Mai's move.

"I've got this! The magic card: Grave Arm! The card allows me to send one monster on the field right to the graveyard, and I choose your Fiend Megacyber!" Mai announced, as an arm came up from beneath the ground and destroys the Fiend Megacyber.

"Cyber Harpy, destroy his Marauding Captain!" Mai ordered. Cyber Harpy slashes Marauding Captain in half. (Joey's LP: 3900). "Finally, I'll place one card face down to end my turn. What do you think, Joey?" she asked. "I destroyed one of your strongest monsters and gained LP at the same time!" This trap card should prevent him from successfully attacking me next turn, she thought.

"And those LP are about to be lost right now!" Joey shouted, drawing his two cards. "Now, I sacrifice my Hayabusa Knight so I can summon Jinzo!" Jinzo appears on the field, his atk increased from 2400 to 2900, as it fires a beam at Mai's face down card, destroying her Mirror Wall trap.

"So much for your Mirror Wall trap card!" Joey sneered. "Now Jinzo, wipe out her Cyber Harpy!" Mai covers her face from the blow, as her Cyber Harpy is destroyed. (Mai's LP: 400) "All right, I think I'll also place a card face down on the field. Let's see what you intend to pull off _this_ time!"

His Jinzo didn't destroy that card, Mai observed, drawing her cards. It must be a magic card then. Come on deck, I need something useful now! "I summon another Cyber Harpy to the field!" The Cyber Harpy (1800 atk) appears on the field, assuming its battle position.

"It's too weak for my Jinzo." Joey insisted.

"That's true, but I never said I was done!" Mai replied. "Now, I'll equip her with the magic card: Megamorph! If I have less LP than you, then the equipped monster's atk pts are doubled." Cyber Harpy's atk increases to 3600. "Cyber Harpy, destroy his Jinzo!" Mai ordered.

Joey turned his head away from the blast, as his Jinzo is destroyed. (Joey's LP: 3200) "And just to be safe, I'll place two cards face down." Mai continued, ending her turn.

"You sound pretty confident, despite the fact that you only have 400 LP left!" Joey taunted. "Now, it's time to finish you off!" he announced as he drew his cards, but Mai noticed that one of them was his Scapegoat magic card.

He just drew his Scapegoat magic card, Mai thought, looking at her hand. Hmmm, I have the Hand Control magic card in my hand. Maybe those scapegoats can help me out.

"I play the magic card: Thirst for Compensation!" Joey shouted. "This card allows me to specially summon two 4-star or lower monsters right from my hand, so show yourselves: Rock Ogre Grotto #1(800 atk) and Masaki the Legendary Swordsman(1100 atk)! Then I'll activate my face down card: Premature Burial! At a cost of 800 LP, I can bring back another monster from the graveyard, so I choose to revive my Hayabusa Knight(1000 atk)!" The three monsters appear on the field, their atk pts raised to 1300, 1600, and 1500, respectively. (Joey's LP: 2400)

"They're too weak for my harpy, Joey." Mai said, smiling for the first time since Joey played the Seal of Orichalcos. "Did you forget my Cyber Harpy has 3600 atk pts?"

Joey chuckled. "Who said I brought these 3 monsters out to attack you with them Mai? In case you haven't noticed, those were all my special summons, which means I still have my normal summon left. Now, I sacrifice all 3 of my monsters so I can summon Gilford the Lighting!" Joey shouted, as the three monsters disappear from the field, and Gilford the Lighting appears in their place (2800 atk, raised to 3300).

"And now your harpy means nothing, because if Gilford the Lightning is successfully summoned to the field by sacrificing three monsters, it destroys all the monsters on my opponent's side of the field!" Joey announced, as Mai's 3600 atk pt harpy is destroyed. "And now, with no monsters to defend you, I'll take my revenge! Gilford, wipe out her remaining LP!" Joey ordered.

"Not so fast Joey!" Mai interrupted. "Did you forget about my face down cards? One of them a trap card called Draining Shield! This card allows me to negate the attack of one of your monsters, and add its atk strength to my LP!" Mai explained, as Gilford's attack is repelled. (Mai's LP: 3700)

Joey grunted in disgust. "Fine! I'll play this card face down on the field. Let's see what _you've_ got!"

"As you wish, Joey." Mai replied, her confidence returning as she draws her cards. "I activate my other face down trap: Phoenix Wing Wind Blast! By discarding one card from my hand, I can return one monster back into you deck, so your Gilford is getting a one-way ticket out of here!" I could attack his LP directly, Mai thought, but that's probably what he wants me to do due to that face down card.

"Next, I'll play another Harpy Lady in defense (1400 def), as well as play another Elegant Egotist! With three harpies now, you'll have a tougher time getting through my defenses!" Mai announced. "But just to make sure of that, I'll play the magic card: Hand Control! If I can correctly guess the name of one magic or trap card in your hand, it activates on my side of the field."

"But you haven't even seen my hand yet!" Joey protested. "How would you know what's in my hand?"

"I noticed one of the two cards you drew," Mai replied. "I know your drew the Scapegoat magic card."

"Well how do you know that's not the card I just placed face down on the field?" Joey countered.

"I don't," Mai admitted. "I'm simply following my instincts, as well as what my heart tells me." It's a risk I have to take, she thought. I have to believe Joey didn't play that card face down! "Now, go Hand Control! I choose to activate your Scapegoats magic card!"

"Well done Mai," Joey said as his magic card activates on Mai's side of the field and four sheep tokens appear. "You saw through my bluff."

"I know Joey. I know the real you is still in there, and while I can't hear it physically, I _did_ hear it mentally." Mai replied. "I heard the _real_ you tell me you didn't place that card face down. Now then, it's your turn."

To Mai's surprise, however, Joey was laughing maniacally.

"Something you find amusing Joey?" Mai asked, confused.

"Foolish, foolish Mai," Joey said, still laughing wildly. "What made you think I would be stupid enough to actually _let_ you see one of the cards I drew?"

"All right, then tell me, why did you purposely let me see it?" Mai demanded, even more confused.

"It's part of my strategy also!" Joey revealed, drawing his cards. "And it starts with the magic card: Polymerization! Now I'll fuse my three Red Eyes Black Dragons in my hand to form a new monster! Come forth, Red Eyes Ultimate Dragon!" Joey shouted as a three-headed Red Eyes Black Dragon appears on the field (3600 atk).

"Now Mai, watch how the power of the Orichalcos works on a _fusion_ monster!" Joey announced. "Under normal conditions, a monster only get 500 extra atk pts, but since my new monster is fused from three monsters, _each_ of them gained 500 atk pts, and all 1500 of those atk pts have now been absorbed by my Red Eyes Ultimate Dragon. Furthermore, my Red Eyes Ultimate Dragon _itself_ will now feel the power of the Orichalcos, which gives it _another_ 500 atk pts!" Joey revealed, as the Red Eyes Ultimate Dragon's atk strength increases to 5600.

That monster may be powerful, Mai thought, but I _will_ defeat it. I made a vow to Joey that I'd bring him back from wherever the Orichalcos took him, and just like Joey's vow when he dueled Valon, I will not be stopped. "But that still doesn't explain why you deliberately let me see, and then activate, your Scapegoat magic card." Mai questioned, still unsure what Joey is trying to do.

"Mai, weren't you listening?" Joey rolled his eyes. "I said it will only _start_ with the Polymerization magic card. Now, I activate my face down magic card: Deck Control!"

"What does that do?" Mai asked, nervous about what Joey's up to.

"Like Hand Control, this card also allows me to guess a magic or trap card, but it must be in your deck, not your hand. If guess correctly, it'll activate on my side of the field. And I choose one of your once favorite trap cards: Nightmare Tri-Mirror!"

"NO!" Mai shrieked in horror, as her trap card activates itself on Joey's side of the field.

"With 3 Harpy Ladies and 4 Scapegoats, you have a total of 7 monsters on your side of the field, Mai." Joey said triumphantly as a magic mirror appears on the field. "Which means this mirror will cast a reflection of all 7 of them. Afterwards, it'll transform that reflection into 7 new monsters on my side of the field, so come to me, my Red Eyes Ultimate Dragons!" Joey shouted, as 7 more Red Eyes Ultimate Dragons appear on the field, each of their atk strength raised from 3600 to 5600.

"Well what do you think Mai?" Joey taunted, laughing maniacally. "It's the same strategy you once used on me. I just took your strategy and made it better!"

Mai could only look on in horror, as the seal of Orichalcos appears on all 8 of Red Eyes Ultimate Dragons, and all 24 heads from them roar at her in anger.


	10. Chapter 10

Rag really likes the fact he's getting many reviews, so hes having me put up more and more XD Keep the reviews coming!

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Chapter 10

"Now, with 8 Red Eyes Ultimate Dragons on the field, I'd say this duel is just about done!" Joey shouted, his LP at 2400.

I will not lose this duel, Mai thought, her LP at 3700. Joey protected me more than enough times already. It is time I did something special for him, and I will not be stopped now!

"Since the 7 new Red Eyes Ultimate Dragons can't attack until next turn anyway, I'll just destroy one of your Harpy Ladies and end my turn." Joey announced, as his first Red Eyes Ultimate Dragon launches out a fireball, frying one of Mai's Harpy Ladies. "Your move Mai, not that you'll last much longer anyway!"

Joey_does_ have a point, Mai thought, drawing her cards. If I can't draw the right cards right away, I'll lose the duel, and I can't let this happen. I have to save Joey, the way he saved me!

_I'm here Mai,_ a voice called in her head.

Joey, is that you? Mai mentally asked in disbelief, as an image of Joey appeared next to her, holding her hand in his on her deck. Of course, she realized, this is what Joey saw when he dueled again Valon! Despite that fact I was still under the Orichalcos' control, my sprit was with him in that duel, I just never realized it. Then that means his spirit is with me now, she thought happily, and I know together we'll defeat the Orichalcos!

Hopefully, Mai thought, the two cards I drew with Joey's spirit guiding me would help me win this duel. "I place two cards face down on the field and end my turn!" she called, as two cards materialized onto the field.

"So be it. Now my dragons, dismantle her defenses!" Joey ordered, as the two remaining Harpy Ladies and the four scapegoats are destroyed. "I still have two Red Eyes Ultimate Dragons left, and with no monster to protect you, your LP are wide open. But I have a feeling you want to me attack due to your face down cards, so I'll place a card face down on the field and end my turn!" Joey announced, as a card materialized onto the field.

Whew, Mai thought in relief. He _did_ fall for my bluff. Unfortunately, I've got no monsters in my hand that can defend me in this situation, she thought, drawing her cards. What I need now is something that can stop his monsters from attacking. Come on Joey, I need your support on this!

"I activate my Swords of Revealing Light magic card!" Mai announced, as multiple golden swords rain down from the sky, surrounding all 8 of Joey's monsters. "Now you can't strike for 3 turns!"

It'll also give me 3 turns to talk some sense into you Joey, Mai thought, but Joey interrupted her.

"Your swords mean _nothing!"_ Joey shouted, drawing his cards. "Did you honestly think I didn't see that coming? Reveal face down card: Ectoplasmer! This magic card allows me to extract the souls right out of my monsters. After that, Ectoplasmer will turn that soul life force into an energy called ectoplasma, which is then hurled right at you!" he explained. "So, for every monster I sacrifice, half of that monster's atk pts are deducted from your LP!"

Yami looked on from the side, in shock. This is what I did, he thought, remembering his duel with Rafael. I used Catapult Turtle, sacrificing my monsters one by one to drain Rafael's LP. Yugi did the exact same thing to me in the "Stone Wilderness". And now Joey is using virtually the same method on Mai.

"Joey, don't go through with this!" Mai begged, but Joey refused to listen.

"Since all 8 of my Red Eyes Ultimate Dragons can't attack anyway, they'll make the perfect volunteers for my magic card!" Joey shouted. "I'll sacrifice one of my dragons now and drain both your life force and your LP!" One of Joey's dragons is turned into a ball of plasma, and Mai screamed in pain as the plasma beam struck her, knocking her into the seal's wall. (Mai's LP: 900)

"Well, here we are." Joey taunted. "You are just about to lose the duel, and your soul. As soon as I sacrifice another one of my dragons, your soul will be sealed away for all eternity, where it belongs!"

Joey, what has the Orichalcos done to you, Mai thought, in tears. "I activate my trap card: Limit Tribute! As long as this card remains active, both of us are allowed to sacrifice no more than one monster every turn, and you already have!" Mai announced.

"You want to delay your eventual downfall, that's fine by me." Joey said in disgust. "I'll just place this card face down on the field. Now make a move!"

"As you wish!" Mai called, drawing her cards. "I place this card face down, that's all."

Joey laughed evilly. "Then I guess the time has come! But just to make sure you're not trying to weaken my attack with your face down cards, I'll play the magic card: Remove Trap! This card allows to clear one trap card from the field, and I choose your Limit Tribute!" he explained, as Mai's trap card is destroyed. "Now then, just in case your two face-down cards can weaken my attack _dramatically,_ I think I'll sacrifice _5_ dragons this time.! Since you'll take 2800 pts of damage from each, you'll lose 14000 LP!" Five of Joey's dragons are destroyed, and transformed into five balls of plasma.

"Not so fast Joey!" Mai called, as the five plasma balls approached her. "I activate my trap card: Reduction Barrier! This reduces all damage to my LP for this turn down to 10!"

"You'll still lose 1400 LP!" Joey countered. "Which means your LP will_still_ go down to 0 after this!" The five plasma balls strike Mai, engulfing her side of the field in smoke.

"Mai!" Tea screamed in horror. But when the smoke cleared, Mai was still standing, her LP at 700.

"Clever trick Mai," Joey observed as Mai activated her last face down card. "The Poison of the Old Man magic card has two effects: it can either do 800 pts of damage to my LP, or increase your LP by 1200, and you chose the latter. This increased your LP to 2100 right before the plasma hit you, allowing you stay in the game."

"Exactly what I planned, Joey." Mai announced triumphantly, but shaking from the pain caused by Joey's last attack. "I told you, I will not be beaten! I will set you free. And in order to do that, I need to win!"

"You're just stalling." Joey grumbled. "In that case, I think I'll keep my remaining Red Eyes Ultimate Dragons and lay this card face down. Now make a move!"

"I'm just planning out my strategy," Mai explained. But then, the Swords of Revealing Light on Joey's side of the field suddenly disappeared.

"What did you do?" Mai asked in alarm. "It's only been two turns! They expired too early!"

Joey laughed. "Did you forget about my face down card? It's a trap card known as Pyro Clock of Destiny. This card allows me to speed up time for one turn, so your swords expire right now!" he explained, as a giant clock appears on the field.

Now, Mai thought, holding up the two cards she drew, I must find a way to get rid of those two dragons now. "I play the magic card: Fissure! This card allows me to destroy the weakest monster on your side of the field. And since both of your dragons have the same atk pts, one of them will be destroyed!" she explained, as a pit opens up and destroys one of the Red Eyes Ultimate Dragons.

"Now, it's time for me to end this duel!" Mai called. "I summon my Amazoness Swordswoman in attack mode!" The Amazon warrior appears on the field, with an atk strength of 1500. "Amazoness Swordswoman, attack his ultimate dragon!"

"Mai, why are you using a 1500 atk pt monster to attack a 5600 atk pt monster?" Tristan asked, confused.

"Amazoness Swordswoman has a devastating side effect if used correctly." Mai explained. "The opponent is the one who takes all battle damage from the attack, no matter how strong the monster my Amazon is attacking. So, once this attack is over, my Amazon will be destroyed, but Joey will lose 4100 LP, and the duel! I told you I'd win Joey!"

"I figured you'd try something like that Mai!" Joey shouted. "So I activate my face down card: Energy Drain! This magic card allows me to drain the atk pts of any monster on the field to 0, and I choose my Red Eyes Ultimate Dragon!" he announced as Red Eyes Ultimate Dragon's atk decreases to 0, and Amazoness Swordswoman destroys it. "I may have lost 1500 LP, but this duel is still on!" (Joey's LP: 900)

"Fine! Then I'll activate my magic card: Pet Dragon's Transmigration!" Mai shouted. "By sacrificing my Harpy's Pet Dragon from my hand along with my Amazon from the field, I can now play this: Lord of Harpies!"

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Joey demanded, as green flames swirl around Mai.

When the flames subsided, Yami, Tristan and Tea all gasped at the sight: Mai was standing in a suit of dragon armor, all bright red. The armor cools down to dark red, with an atk of 2000, def of 2500.

"While I can't attack with it this turn, I can still enhance my armor's strength!" Mai announced. "Since my armor is still a dragon-class monster, I'll play these magic cards: Dragon Nails and Dragon Treasure! Dragon Nails increases the atk strength of a dragon-type monster by 600 pts, and Dragon Treasure increases the atk and def strength of a dragon-type monster by 300 pts!" Mai explained, as metal claws form onto her armor from Dragon Nails' effect, and yellow glittering light falling onto her armor from Dragon Treasure's effect, and her dragon armor's atk and def stats increase to 2900/2800.

"Well_two_ can play that game!" Joey shouted, drawing his cards. "Now, I activate the magic card: Red Eyes Transmigration! I sacrifice my Red Eyes Black Dragon and my Sasuke Samurai from my hand. Now I play Lord of the Red!" Joey announced, as blue flames began to encircle him.

When the flames subsided, Joey was standing in a suit of dragon armor also, all dark red. The armor cools down to black, with an atk strength of 2400, def strength of 2000. The Orichalcos increases the atk strength of Joey's Lord of the Red to 2900, same as Mai's Lord of Harpies.

"And now," Joey announced. "It is time for this duel to be taken to the next level!"


	11. Chapter 11

Happy Halloween everyone! Rag has decided to give you all a chapter as a Halloween treat. :D  
Don't forget to review!!!

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Chapter 11 

"It looks like our monsters are equal now," Mai observed in her 2900 atk pt Lord of Harpies dragon armor, her LP at 700.

"Looks can be deceiving," Joey replied in his 2900 atk pt Lord of the Red dragon armor, his LP at 900. "Or don't you remember my usage of this armor with Valon? Regardless, I never said I was finished!" Joey said, activating another card from his hand.

"You're not the _only_ one with a feather duster type magic card, Mai!" Joey explained. "Now, I activate the magic card: Gryphon's Feather Duster! This card allows me to destroy all your magic and trap cards on your side of the field, just like Harpy's Feather Duster. But unlike Harpy's Feather Duster, I gain 500 LP for every card I destroy with it, so your Dragon Nails and Dragon Treasure magic cards are now gone!"

A whirlwind sweeps the field, and Mai's two magic cards are destroyed. Joey's LP increases to 1900, and Lord of Harpies' atk returns to 2000.

"Now then, just to entertain you, I think I'll also play this magic card: Hinotama! Unlike Meteor of Destruction, this card can be activated regardless of how many LP you still have! Fortunately for you, this card can only do 500 pts of damage to your LP." Joey explained, as an orange fireball rains down from the sky, slamming into Mai and knocking her into the seal's wall once again. (Mai's LP: 200)

"Finally, I think you know what happens now, right?" Joey taunted. Off Mai's confused look, he continued. "You have a short memory span Mai. Did you forget that if two or more magic cards are played in one turn, Lord of the Red automatically destroys every other monster on the field? That includes your worthless Lord of Harpies!" Joey explained.

"Now Lord of the Red, I transform you into your Phoenix form!" Joey shouted, flying into the air. "Destroy Lord of Harpies!" he ordered as Lord of the Red transforms into a blue phoenix dragon.

"I will not be stopped! Lord of Harpies, I transform you into your Phoenix form also!" Mai announced, flying into the air also to intercept Joey. "Lord of Harpies, defend yourself!" she ordered, as Lord of Harpies transformed into a yellow orange phoenix bird.

"There's nothing you can do now Mai! In a few seconds, you'll become a prisoner of the Orichalcos!" Joey announced as the two phoenixes collided, creating a mid-air explosion that covered the entire field.

Yami, Tristan, and Tea covered their eyes from the force of the explosion. When they looked back up again, the entire field was covered in smoke.

"I can't see anything!" Tea cried. "Are they all right?"

"So much for your mighty Lord of Harpies!" Joey sneered, as the smoke on his side of the field clears, revealing him in his dragon armor.

But to Joey's surprise, Mai is still in her Lord of Harpies armor when the smoke on her side of the field cleared.

"What!? How did you survive my Lord of the Red's phoenix attack?" Joey demanded.

Breathing hard from the force of the explosion, Mai chuckled. "Did you think only _your_ monster had special abilities? My Lord of Harpies has a special ability that allows me to negate the special effects of a monster card every turn, as long as I pay half my LP to activate it!" (Mai's LP: 100)

Joey laughed wildly. "Well, that's why I played Gryphon's Feather Duster, Mai! Now that your monster has only 2000 atk pts, my Lord of the Red will destroy it as soon as I call my attack! And with only 100 LP left, you'll lose the duel, and your soul!"

"Lord of the Red, destroy her monster and the last of her LP!" Joey ordered, leaping into the air again.

"Lord of Harpies, transform yourself into your phoenix form and counterattack!" Mai called, also leaping into the air, as her Lord of Harpies transforms into a red orange phoenix, colliding with Joey's Lord of the Red and sending an even greater explosion in mid-air.

"And now," Joey announced, landing to his side of the field, "it's time! You've lost, and your soul is now sealed away, where it belongs!" he shouted to Mai's side of the field, which is still shrouded in smoke.

But when the smoke clears, Mai is still in her Lord of Harpies armor, smiling. "Ever think about the possibility of my Lord of Harpies having _multiple_ special abilities? Another one of my armor's special abilities allows me to negate the attack of a monster and add its atk pts to my LP, as long as you gain 1000 LP from this effect, so thanks for the power up, Joey!" she laughed, as her LP increase to 3000 and Joey's increase to 2900.

But then, all four cards in Mai's hand dissolve away, as her LP decrease to 1800. "Hey! What happened to my hand? And how did I lose 1200 LP?" she asked, confused.

Joey laughed evilly. "Did you think only _your_ monster had multiple special abilities Mai? Lord of the Red has a special ability that forces the opponent to discard his or her entire hand, and 300 pts of damage is done to their LP for every card discarded. All it takes is for two monster special abilities to be activated on the same turn on the opponent's side of the field."

"However, you should consider yourself fortunate for your Lord of Harpies. Had it not been for _its_ special ability you just activated, you would've lost the duel, and I would have had my revenge." Joey continued. "Now then, I'll place this card face down on the field and end my turn."

All right, Mai thought, drawing her two cards. I need a good hand now, and I have a feeling that whatever Joey laid face down on the field is another magic card. He must want to play a magic card this turn, so he can destroy my Lord of Harpies once he actives _his_ magic card.

Fortunately for me, Mai thought, smiling, he's not going to make that happen now that I've drawn this card. "I activate Harpy's Feather Duster!" she called. "This way, whatever card you played face down will be destroyed before you activate it!"

The whirlwind from Harpy's Feather Duster materializes, and Joey's face down card is destroyed. But to Mai's surprise and horror, an explosion occurs the instant the face down card is destroyed, hurling her into the seal's wall again.

Joey laughed. "I knew you'd use your Feather Duster Mai! That's why I planted that face down card. I _wanted_ you to destroy it! That wasn't a magic card, it was a trap card known as Kozaky's Self Destruct Button! It does 1000 pts of damage to whoever destroys it, like you did with your Feather Duster. Looks like your plan just backfired, eh?" Joey taunted as Mai's LP decreases to 800.

"I_will_ still win this, Joey." Mai said, gritting her teeth in frustration, and struggling to stand back up. "I made a promise to you, and I never break a promise to a friend."

"We're_not_ friends, Mai!" Joey shouted angrily. "All the friends you've ever had came in the form of giving you power! Now it's time for you to see what it feels like to have that taken away from you, along with everything you have! Now, finish your move so I can send you where you belong!"

"Man, I _really_ miss the _old_ Joey." Mai sighed. "I'll lay my last card face down on the field and end my turn."

"Since you're going to activate your Lord of Harpies special ability to stop my attack, there's no point in attacking. At least, not with my Lord of the Red." Joey announced. "But this card ought to bring better luck! I activate another Scapegoat magic card!"

"Those scapegoats can't do anything, so why are you playing them?" Mai asked, as four scapegoats appear on the field.

"Did you forget when you used Phoenix Wing Wind Blast? You sent my Gilford the Lightning back into my deck, and I just drew it again. So, I sacrifice three of my scapegoat tokens to summon it again!" Joey announced, as Gilford appears on he field (2800 atk, raised to 3300). "Now, since I sacrificed three monsters to bring out my Gilford, it can destroy every monster on your side of the field. Unless, of course, you want to pay half your LP to negate it." Joey taunted.

"I won't have to!" Mai announced. "I activate my face down trap card: Shadow Balance! This card makes the number of monsters on your side of the field equal to the number on my side of the field, so you can only have one monster on your side of the field now!"

A giant balance appears on the field. On one side it held Joey in his Lord of the Red dragon armor, on the other it held Gilford the Lightning and the last scapegoat.

"Now it's time to see which two monsters my trap card chose!" Mai announced as smoke engulfed the field. To her dismay, however, Joey's Lord of the Red was still on the field when the smoke cleared.

"Looks like your plan to destroy my armor failed you Mai," Joey said. "Fortunately for you, due to the trap card effect I'm not allowed to attack this turn, so I'll play two more cards face down and end my turn."

I know you're still with me Joey, Mai thought. I know that our bond is stronger than the Orichalcos. And I _will_ defeat you in this duel so I can save you.

"Well, it looks like it's time for me to destroy your Lord of the Red!" Mai announced, drawing her cards.

"What are you talking about? Your Lord of Harpies has only 2000 atk! My Lord of the Red has 2900 atk!" Joey protested.

"True, but not for long! For I play the magic card: Axe of Despair! This equip magic card increases a monster's atk strength by 1000, and I choose my Lord of Harpies!" Mai announced, as a metal axe materialized in her hand, as Lord of Harpies' atk increases to 3000.

"Now, Lord of Harpies, destroy his Lord of the Red!" Mai shouted, flying into the air for an attack. "And by paying half of my LP, you can't activate you Lord of the Red's special ability even if your face down card _is_ a magic card!" (Mai's LP: 400)

"You haven't won yet Mai! Lord of the Red, counterattack!" Joey shouted, also leaping into the air to intercept Mai's attack. "I activate my face down magic card: Shield and Sword! This card switches the atk and def stats of all monsters on the field for one turn. Thus, your Lord of Harpies' atk is now 2500, my Lord of the Red's atk is now 2000. But due to the seal, it gain an additional 500 atk pts, so it too it now 2500!" Joey explained, and his armor and Mai's armor moved ever closer to each other. "Finally, I'll activate my other face down card. It's the magic card: Skill Limitation! This card can only be used on monsters with multiple special abilities. While it only lasts one turn, it forces that monster to activate no more than _one_ of its special abilities during this turn. And since you've already activated one, you can't activate another!" Joey explained.

"Now Lord of the Red, destroy her Lord of Harpies!" Joey shouted as both his and Mai's fists collided, lighting up the entire sky with a bright flash of light and sending an explosion so great it shook the seal itself.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"This is just like Joey's duel with Valon!" Tea exclaimed, covering her eyes from the bright explosion.

"No kidding!" Tristan shouted, as he, Yami, and Tea are all hurled into a building's wall from the force of the explosion. "I just hope that both of them are all right! Even though Mai deserves this!"

When the lights subsided, Yami, Tristan, and Tea looked up…..to see both Joey and Mai fall from the sky, their dragon armors both destroyed. But while Joey was able to land back onto his side of the field on his feet, Mai landed flat on her back onto her side, writhing in pain.

"Don't tell me you're almost out of endurance already Mai," Joey said in disgust, the Seal of Orichalcos glowing brightly on his forehead, his LP at 2900. "That would make the duel a lot less interesting. Besides, I'm having too much fun torturing you like you did to me last time! Now then, there's nothing I can do anymore, so I'll end my turn. And it looks to me like you can barely even stay conscious!"

Yami, Tristan and Tea all turned to look at Mai as she struggled to her feet….and gasped in shock. While Joey only looked slightly tired and injured after everything that took place during the duel, Mai is in far worse condition. Her once elegant golden blonde hair is now drenched with sweat and dampened with dirt from the ground. Her once spotless creamy skin is now lined with bruises, covering her arms and legs. Her face, once pure and full of light, is now smeared with dirt in several places, as well as bruised from the damage taken from Joey's magic cards. Her eyes, once full of hope and determination, has now been replaced by exhaustion and horror for what the Orichalcos has done to the teenager she loved and cherished, and is now brimming with tears. As she stood back up, she looked even worse than what Joey and Valon looked like during the final moments of their duel. Her knees were shaking, her hands were trembling, and she was gasping for breath, as well as choking on her own tears.

"I may be in bad shape," Mai choked, her LP at 400, "but I'm not out! This duel is still on!" she announced, drawing her two cards. "Now, with no monsters or face down cards on the field, your LP are wide open to an attack. So, I summon by Amazoness Chain Master to the field!" The Amazon warrior appears besides the exhausted Mai (1500 atk) as she calls out another command. "Now Amazoness Chain Master, attack Joey's LP directly!"

"Big loss," Joey replied, as his LP decrease to 1400. "Anything else you've got?"

"I'll place two cards face down on the field and end my turn." Mai gasped, taking several tries to insert her cards into the slot.

"Then let's end this duel now!" Joey announced. "I summon Alligator Sword in attack mode!" As the warrior appears before him, his 1500 atk is raised to 2000 by the seal. "And now, it's time say goodbye to the rest of your LP! Alligator Sword, destroy her Amazoness Chain Master and wipe her out!"

"Not just yet Joey!" Mai said weakly. "I activate my trap card: Enchanted Javelin! This card is used when you call an attack. It then increases by LP by the attacking monster's atk pts! So I get another 2000 LP thanks to you!"

"So what?" Joey taunted, as Mai's LP increase to 2400, then decrease to 1900 as Alligator Sword destroys Amazoness Chain Master. "I still have the upper hand here in case you've forgotten!"

"True," Mai said, still panting heavily. "But now I can activate my Chain Master's special ability: By paying 1500 LP, I can look at your hand and take a monster from it!"

"And just what makes you think I have a good monster card you want?" Joey countered. "And for that matter, what makes you think I have monster cards in my hand _at all_?"

"It's a risk I'll have to take." Mai admitted, as her LP decrease to 400. "I'm just using a strategy you use: gambling. Now, show me your hand!" she called, limping over to Joey.

"As you wish," Joey sighed in annoyance, showing his hand to Mai. To Mai's dismay, however, there was only one monster card in Joey's hand: Rocket Warrior. The only other card he had in his hand was the magic card Monster Reincarnation.

"It'll have to do," Mai said, taking Rocket Warrior from Joey's hand. "Now then, finish your move!"

"I intend to," Joey said. "I haven't even drawn my two cards yet, so you made a mistake activating your monster's special ability so early! You could have seen what cards I'm about to draw!" As Joey drew his cards, he smiled. "I'll place this card face down on the field. Then I'll activate the magic card: Monster Reincarnation! This card allows me to send a monster card back into my hand, as long as I discard one card from my hand," he explained, as one monster card from his graveyard is ejected. "I think that'll do for now. But soon, your downfall will come, and with it, I will finally have my revenge! You'll enter the seal screaming in despair and agony, the way it should have happened!"

"By the way," Joey announced as Mai drew her cards, "the card I discarded when I activated Monster Reincarnation was the monster card: Sinister Serpent. And its special ability allows me to bring it right back to my hand during my standby phase, so I didn't lose any cards at all!" he explained, as Sinister Serpent returned to his hand.

"Joey, please forgive me," Mai whispered under her breath, looking at the cards she drew. "Now, I activate _my own_ Thirst for Compensation! This allows me to special summon two 4-star or lower monsters right to the field." As two face down defense monsters appeared on the field, she continued. "Next, I'll summon my Amazon Archer in defense mode!"

As the Amazon warrior (1000 def) appears on the field, her arrow lights up. "Amazon Archer has a special ability as well: by sacrificing two monsters on my side of the field, I can let it do 1200 pts of damage to your LP!"

"You'll pay for that Mai!" Joey shouted in anger, reeling back as the arrow struck him. (Joey's LP: 200) "Now, finish your move already!"

"I'll lay this card face down on the field and end my turn." Mai said weakly, struggling to stay on her feet.

"Good! Now, it's time to end this duel!" Joey announced. "I summon Sinister Serpent to the field in attack mode!" The serpent creature appears on the field with an atk of 300, raised to 800 by the Seal of Orichalcos. "Now Alligator Sword, destroy her Amazon Archer!"

Alligator Sword launches its attack, and Mai's Amazon Archer is sliced in half. "Sinister Serpent, end this duel!" Joey commanded. "With only 400 LP left, you won't survive this attack!"

"I think not Joey!" Mai called weakly, activating her face down card. "I activate the magic card: Dian Keto the Cure Master! This card allows me to increase my LP by 1000 right away, so my LP will not go down to 0 after this attack!"

Joey growled in frustration as Mai's LP increase to 1400, then drops to 600 as Sinister Serpent strikes her, knocking her on her back again. "In that case, I think I'll give _my_ LP a boost as well! I activate the magic card: Emergency Provisions! This allows me to destroy one magic or trap card other than itself to increase my LP by 1000. And since I still have one face down card, I'll use that!" (Joey's LP: 1200)

"Finally," Joey announced, "I'll place my last two cards face down on the field. Let's see what you've got _this_ time!"

I have to pull through this, Mai thought, as her vision starts to go out of focus. This must be what Joey felt like during his duel with me when he was trying to break the Orichalcos' control over me. He was on the verge of total collapse, but he still fought on. I have to do the same for him.

"All right," Mai called, drawing her cards. "I activate another Harpy's Feather Duster magic card to destroy your two face down cards—"

"Not so fast Mai!" Joey cut in. "I knew you'd try something like that, so I came prepared! I activate my trap card: Gryphon Wing! This trap only works when Harpy's Feather Duster is activated. It allows me to destroy all the magic and trap cards on _your_ side of the field instead!"

Mai grumbled in frustration as her Harpy's Feather Duster is destroyed. "I'll lay one card face down, then I'll activate my Warrior Returning Alive magic card to bring back my Amazon Archer!" she announced, as Amazon Archer reappears on the field and raises its bow and arrow (1400 atk). "Next, I'll summon Rocket Warrior which I got from you!" Rocket Warrior appears on the field next to Mai's Amazon, with an attack of 1500. "Finally, I'll equip my Amazon Archer with the magic card: Invigoration! This card allows an earth attribute monster, like my Amazon Archer, to gain 400 atk pts but lose 200 def pts!"

"Big deal," Joey rolled his eyes as Amazon Archer's atk increases to 1800. "My Alligator Sword is still the strongest monster, and you can't take away from remaining LP even if you attack my Sinister Serpent with it."

Mai chuckled. "Joey, have you forgotten the special ability of your own monsters? I now switch Rocket Warrior into its invincible mode! Rocket Warrior, attack his Alligator Sword!" Mai commanded. "Remember Joey, any monster Rocket Warrior attacks that have the same or more atk pts than Rocket Warrior loses 500 atk until the end of the turn, but since Rocket Warrior is in its invincible mode, it doesn't get destroyed and I don't lose LP."

Rocket Warrior switches into its rocket mode and strikes Alligator Sword, decreasing its atk to 1500. "Now Amazon Archer, destroy his Alligator Sword!" Mai called. Amazon Archer fires its arrow, and Alligator Sword is destroyed. (Joey's LP: 900)

"You'll have to do better than that Mai!" Joey shouted. "Now, before I draw, I think I'll activate my face down trap: Solemn Wishes! This continuous trap allows me to gain 500 LP every time I draw a card, and since I'm about to draw two, I gain 1000 LP!" Joey explained, as his LP increase to 1900. "Next, I'll activate my Pot of Greed magic card, allowing me to draw two cards. Solemn Wishes will activate again, so I gain another 1000 LP!"

Joey draws another two cards, and his LP increase to 2900. "Now, I summon Panther Warrior in attack mode!" Panther Warrior appears on the field (2000 atk, raised to 2500) and appears next to Sinister Serpent. "Panther Warrior can't attack unless I sacrifice a monster, so I'll sacrifice my Sinister Serpent! Now Panther Warrior, destroy Rocket Warrior and finish Mai off!" Joey commanded as Sinister Serpent disappears from the field, and Panther Warrior swings its sword, cutting Rocket Warrior in half.

"I activate my face down magic card: Spell of Pain!" Mai announced. "This magic card transfers all damage to my LP done to me this turn to you, so you just lost 1000 LP in that attack!" (Joey's LP: 1900)

"Well you only have 600 LP left. One more attack and this duel is over!" Joey observed. "I'll lay another card face down on the field. Now go!"

"I activate the magic card: Mystical Space Typhoon!" Mai called weakly, as her vision goes out of focus again. "Since I can now destroy one magic or trap card on your side of the field, I choose your Solemn Wishes trap!"

As Joey's trap is destroyed, Mai continued. "I summon Harpy Lady in defense mode!"

"Just what do you think you're doing _now?"_ Joey demanded, as the Harpy Lady appears on the field (1400 def).

"Ending this duel!" Mai announced. "I activate the magic card: Harpy Lady Phoenix Formation! With only one Harpy Lady on the field, I can only destroy one monster on your side of the field and deduct its atk pts from your LP. But you have only 1900 LP left, and your Panther Warrior has 2500 atk pts, so it looks like I win the duel!"

"Oh, _please_," Joey said, rolling his eyes as the blue phoenix approached his monster. "You use that card every duel, so excuse me for not being shocked. I activate my face down magic card: Giant Trunade! This magic card allows me to send every magic and trap card back into the players' hands. But due to the properties of my Golden Card Treasure Chest, my card remains, but your Phoenix Formation won't!"

"I'll place three cards face down on the field and end my turn." Mai said in dismay, her entire body trembling in pain now. But as Joey began to draw his cards, she cut him off. "Now, I activate one of my face down cards! Did you think only _you_ had an Emergency Provisions magic card Joey? Now, I send my other two cards to the graveyard to increase my LP by 2000!" (Mai's LP: 2600)

"In that case, I'll be taking that Phoenix Formation magic card from you Mai! I know you wouldn't have sent it to the graveyard, since it's such a powerful card!" Joey shouted. "Now, I activate the magic card: Exchange! This card allows us to take one card from the opponent's hand, so give me your Phoenix Formation Mai!" Joey demanded, walking to the center of the field.

I'm exhausted, Mai thought sadly, limping to the center of the field as well. But I have to finish this duel. I have to save Joey. "All right Joey, now let me see _your_ hand!"

"As you wish Mai, but know this: nothing you take from my hand will save you in the end." Joey replied, taking Harpy Lady Phoenix Formation from Mai's hand.

This will do, Mai thought, taking the card from Joey's hand.

"With your harpy in defense mode, there's no point for me to attack it." Joey announced, drawing his cards. "So I'll just place this card face down on the field and end my turn."

"All right then, my move!" Mai announced. "I play a monster in defense and end my turn."

Joey laughed, and the seal on his forehead glowed as he drew his cards. "Your defenses mean nothing Mai. I activate the magic card: Change of Heart! This allows me to take control of one of your monsters, and I choose your Harpy Lady!"

"So what?" Mai asked. "You can't change its position with it, so it's useless to you!"

"Forget about my Panther Warrior already Mai?" Joey taunted. "I need to sacrifice a monster for it to attack, and your harpy will do just fine! Now Panther Warrior, destroy her face down monster!" Joey commanded, as Harpy Lady disappeared from the field.

"That's exactly what I wanted you to do Joey!" Mai revealed. "That defense monster was the one I took from you, so you just attacked Cyber Jar (900 def)! Now every one of our monsters is destroyed, along with our entire hands. Then we must each draw 5 new cards, and summon all 4-star or lower monsters to the field immediately!"

"I'm aware of that!" Joey shouted, annoyed. "Since I was the one who attacked it, you can summon your monsters first, Mai!"

"I summon Mystical Elf (800 atk, 2000 def) and Amazoness Fighter (1300 atk, 1300 def) in defense mode!" Mai announced. "Now let's see what monsters you've got Joey!" Amazoness Fighter's special ability prevents me from taking battle damage no matter what, Mai thought, so I'll be safe regardless of what Joey summons to the field.

But to her surprise, Joey started laughing evilly.

"Something you find amusing?" Mai asked, confused.

"Just take a look at my side of the field and you'll see for yourself!" Joey replied, still laughing.

Mai raised her head………and screamed in surprise and horror. On Joey's side of the field stood three Cyber Harpies (1800 atk each, raised to 2300).

"You thought only _you_ had harpies, didn't you Mai?" Joey taunted. "You were dead wrong! And thanks to my face down card, you'll also experience it!"

"I activate my trap card: Disgraceful Charity!" Joey shouted. "This trap only works when at least one card from at least one player has been discarded. Since we threw out our entire hands by Cyber Jar's effect, this card sends the cards we threw out back into our hands."

"And now," Joey announced. "It is time for you to feel your own destruction used against you. I now activate the Harpy Lady Phoenix Formation magic card sent back into my hand by the effects of Disgraceful Charity! With three harpies, I can destroy three of your monsters and subtract their atk pts from your LP!"

"Go, Harpy Lady Phoenix Formation!" Joey ordered. "Rid the field of her monsters and scorch her heart and soul like she did to me!" The three Cyber Harpies roared in anger, then transformed themselves into a blue phoenix, destroying both of Mai's monsters.

Mai screamed in pain as the blue phoenix hit her, as her LP dropped to 500.

"Looks like this duel is just about over!" Joey announced, as Mai collapsed on the ground from the pain. "You'll _never_ escape the seal, Mai! In just one more turn, the seal will assimilate your life force, trapping you forever!"


	13. Chapter 13

Wow, these are going up fast compared to how the first few chapters went up. Thank you all those who favorited this story! And once again Thank you Ragnarok for letting another chapter be posted!!!

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Chapter 13

My harpies, is this what I did to you when _I_ played the Seal of Orichalcos? Mai thought sadly, tilting her head up slightly.

Before she joined Dartz, she competed against duelists from all over America with her Harpy Ladies and Cyber Harpies. But after Valon had defeated her, she wanted something that would give her complete control over duels. Now, as Mai looked at the Cyber Harpies on the Joey's side of the field, she realized just how _different_ they now looked.

All three Cyber Harpies had the Seal of Orichalcos glowing on their foreheads just like Joey. Their eyes, once a beautiful shade of blue, had been turned into an angry blood red. Their faces once showed the expressions of warriors. Now, all three of them display the faces of cold blooded killers.

"Get up, you coward!" Joey shouted angrily from the other side. "I will not be denied my vengeance just because you have an endurance problem!"

"Joey, please stop this now!" Tea screamed, trying to enter the seal, but is repelled every time. "This duel has gone far enough! You've made your point!"

"No Tea," Yami replied. "The duel must end the way it is supposed to end."

"And just what is 'the way it is supposed to end', Pharaoh?" Tristan asked. "Joey's anger isn't even coming close to subsiding, and Mai will be lucky if she can even stand back up!"

"Unfortunately, only Joey and Mai can answer that," Yami replied. "All we can do now is hope that the answer we want is also the answer we get."

"I have to fight on," Mai whispered weakly, struggling to her feet. "I have to save you, Joey!"

"You won't even be able to save yourself Mai." Joey said, rolling his eyes. "Now then, since I just activated Harpy Lady Phoenix Formation, I cannot attack this turn, so I'll lay this card face down and give you a shot!"

This is even harder than I imagined, Mai thought, drawing her cards. All the opponents I faced in America before Valon were beaten within a matter of moves. Joey, on the other hand, is not only just still standing, he's turning my own strategies against me, including the ones I learned after joining Dartz! And with only 500 LP remaining, I need a strong monster now!

"Now," Mai announced, her voice trembling, "I activate the magic card: Next World!"

"What are you up to this time?" Joey demanded, as a giant carpet appears behind his Cyber Harpies.

"The Next World magic card adds up the number of stars on all the monsters you have on the field," Mai explained. "After that, I'm allowed to summon a monster with the same or less amount of stars my magic card added. Since all 3 Cyber Harpies are 4-star monsters, I am now allowed to summon a monster with 12 stars or less."

"Go ahead, just try it!" Joey challenged. "It won't save you anyway!"

"I use Next World to summon Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys!" Mai announced, as a golden phoenix appears on the field.

"Your 2400 atk pt monster is useless!" Joey insisted.

"It's stronger than your harpies, that's all that matters!" Mai countered. "I'll place this card face down. Now Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys, destroy one of his Cyber Harpies!" The phoenix roars, then sprays out an orange pillar of flame.

"Looks like your harpy couldn't take the heat!" Mai smiled, as one of Joey's Cyber Harpies screams in pain, and is then destroyed. (Joey's LP: 1800)

"Then I play the magic card: Attrition!" Joey countered, drawing his cards. "Now Cyber Harpy, attack her phoenix!"

"What is Joey doing?" Tea asked. "His harpy only has 2300 atk pts!"

"Your harpy is no match for my phoenix!" Mai announced, as her Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys destroys Joey's second Cyber Harpy. (Joey's LP: 1700)

"Take a closer look Mai," Joey said, laughing. "You phoenix has seen better days, _much_ better days!" He pointed to Mai's monster, whose atk pts decreased to 100.

"How did you do that!? It lost virtually all its atk pts!" Mai exclaimed in horror.

"That is how my Attrition card works, Mai." Joey explained. "It will only occur whenever a monster is attacking another monster with more atk pts than itself. Then, once the damage step is over, the destroys monster's atk pts is subtracted from the monster it just attacked. Therefore, your phoenix has just been reduced to a weakling that's barely standing before you!"

"And now, you'll have the honor of being destroyed by your own monster!" Joey announced. "Cyber Harpy, destroy her phoenix and wipe her out!"

"Not just yet Joey!" Mai called. "I activate my face down magic card: The Dark Door! As long as this card stays on the field, both of us are only allowed to attack no more than once per turn, and you already did that!"

"In that case, I'll make sure you can't use the same tactic against_me_ regarding my Attrition magic card, since it _is_ a permanent magic card after all." Joey replied. "I play _another_ Emergency Provisions magic card! I will now send my Attrition magic card off the field so I gain 1000 LP!" (Joey's LP: 2700)

At this rate, Mai thought glumly, I'll never even come _close_ to winning! "All right, my move!" she announced As she drew her two cards, she smiled. "I activate my Grave Arm magic card, and I'll use it on my phoenix!"

"That's stupid Mai," Joey insisted. "You could've at least switched it into defense mode! In case you forgot, my Attrition magic card works on _attack_ points only, not defense."

But suddenly, Mai's Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys returns to the field, its attack strength of 2400 restored. "Hey! What did you do?" Joey demanded.

"Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys has a special ability, Joey." Mai explained. "If it is destroyed in any way besides in battle, it is resummoned to my side of the field immediately. Therefore, its atk is now back to normal. But more importantly, if it is successfully special summoned this way, it'll destroy every magic and trap card on the field!"

"Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys, destroy my Dark Door magic card, Joey's face down card, his Golden Card Treasure Chest magic card, and most importantly, the Seal of Orichalcos!" Mai ordered, as her fire beast transformed itself into a golden phoenix, destroying her magic card and swept towards Joey's cards.

But as it approached Joey's face down card, it is immediately repelled, and the Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys returns to Mai's side of the field.

"What!? But why did my monster's special ability stop at your face down card?" Mai asked, confused.

Joey laughed evilly. "Just take a look at the face down card and see for yourself!"

"Impossible!!" Mai screamed in disbelief. "A Harpy's Feather Storm trap card!?"

"You thought only _you_ had one, didn't you Mai?" Joey laughed. "After our duel in the Industrial Illusions building, I decided to upgrade my deck as much as possible. I just never drew it in our last duel. And just like how you used it on my Fiber Jar, I'm using it on you to deactivate your monster's ability!"

"Well I can still attack with my monster!" Mai countered. "Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys, destroy his Cyber Harpy!" Joey's Cyber Harpy is destroyed, reducing Joey's LP to 2600. "Now, I'll lay one card face down, and it's back to you."

"You mentioned earlier that my monsters couldn't take the heat from yours. In that case, I think it's time I fight fire with fire!" Joey announced. "I summon Solar Flare Dragon to the field in attack mode!" As the 1500 atk pt monster appears on the field, its atk is raised to 2000 by the seal. "I now play my Dragon Nails magic card, allowing any dragon equipped to it to gain 600 atk pts, so it looks like _my_ monster is now the stronger one!" Joey announced, as Solar Flare Dragon's atk increases to 2600.

"Solar Flare Dragon, destroy her Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys!" Joey ordered. Solar Flare Dragon shoots out a fireball, and Mai's monster is destroyed. (Mai's LP: 300) "By the way Mai, my Solar Flare Dragon has a special ability as well. It does 500 pts of damage to an opponent's LP during the end phase of my turn. So as soon as I end my turn, Solar Flare Dragon will drain the last 300 of your LP, and you'll become a prisoner of the Orichalcos!"

"This duel is over Mai! I end my turn!" Joey shouted, as Solar Flare Dragon shoots out another fireball, engulfing Mai's side of the field in flames. But when the flames subsided, Mai's LP remained at 300.

"What!? How did you stop my dragon's special ability?" Joey demanded.

Mai laughed weakly, struggling to stay on her feet. "The same way you did to me a minute ago. I activated my Harpy's Feather Storm trap card! It deactivated your monster's abilities."

"Perhaps," Joey reasoned. "But you seem to forget that your trap only lasts one turn, which means my dragon will finish you off next turn!"

"There won't _be_ a next turn for your Solar Flare Dragon!" Mai announced, drawing her cards. "I summon Element Dragon to the field!"

"That 1500 atk pt monster is too weak Mai." Joey laughed. "And as soon as I destroy it, you're done!"

"Wrong Joey!" Mai called. "My Element Dragon gains 500 atk pts for every fire monster on the field, like your Solar Flare Dragon!"

"It's still the weaker one," Joey insisted as Element Dragon's atk increases to 2000. "My dragon will still destroy it and wipe you out!"

"I never said I was finished!" Mai announced. "Now, I activate the magic card: Pump Up! I can now choose a monster on my side of the field and double its ark pts for one turn, and I choose my Element Dragon! Now Element Dragon, destroy his Solar Flare Dragon!" Element Dragon's atk increases to 4000, and Joey's Solar Flare Dragon is destroyed.

"I'll lay these two cards face down and end my turn." Mai finished, as Element Dragon's atk returns to 1500.

"Still think you can win, Mai?" Joey taunted, as his LP decrease to 1200. "You're dead wrong. Now, with Sinister Serpent in my graveyard, I think I'll bring it back into my hand again. Then I'll play the magic card: Tribute to the Doomed! By discarding one card from my hand, I can destroy one monster on the field, so Element Dragon is getting a one-way ticket to the graveyard!" Bandages rise up from the ground, and Mai's monster is destroyed.

"Now, I summon Goblin Attack Force in attack mode!" Joey shouted, as 5 goblins appear on the field (2300 atk, raised to 2800). "Goblin Attack Force, destroy her remaining LP!"

"I don't think so Joey!" Mai countered, activating her face down card. "I active the magic card: Mind Control! This allows me to take control over a monster until the end of your turn, and I choose your Goblin Attack Force!"

"Big deal," Joey said, rolling his eyes, as his Goblin Attack Force's atk decreases to 2300 now that it's on Mai's side of the field. "Did you forget that due to your Mind Control card, you can't attack with that monster or sacrifice it?"

"I didn't Joey," Mai smiled. "That's why I now activate my other face down magic card: Mystik Wok! The card allows me to counter the effects of Mind Control. You see, Mystik Wok allows me to choose a monster on my side of the field and sacrifice it. Then, I can choose to add either its atk or def pts to my LP, so I just got rid of your monster and gained 2300 LP all together!"

Joey sighed in disgust as Mai's LP increase to 2600. "In that case, I think I'll play two cards face down and end my turn for now."

"Then it's time to end this duel!" Mai announced, her strength starting to return. "I summon Cyber Harpy to the field in attack mode! Then I'll play the magic card Elegant Egotist to multiply my harpy into three!" Three Cyber Harpies appears on the field, each with an attack of 1800. "Now Cyber Harpy, attack Joey's LP directly!"

"I knew you'd try summoning multiple harpies with a magic card Mai!" Joey countered. "That's why I was prepared for it! I activate my trap card: Celebration of Creation! This trap can only activate whenever monsters are summoned to the field by a magic or trap card, like you just did. Furthermore, it forces you to end your turn right away!" Joey explained, as the Cyber Harpy's attack is repelled.

"I still have three monsters, and you have none!" Mai countered. "So it looks like I still have the upper hand!"

"Don't you ever get tired of being wrong all the time Mai? I activate my other trap card: Bottomless Trap Hole! This trap can only activate when 1500 atk pt monsters are summoned." Joey explained, as a hole opened from beneath Mai' harpies and sucks them in. "It allows me to destroy all the monsters immediately."

"Now, with no monsters or face down cards on the field, your LP are wide open for an attack, so I summon my Raging Flame Sprite to the field in attack mode!" Joey shouted as a tiny fire lily appears on the field (100 atk, raised to 600).

Mai laughed. "And just what do you think you can do with a worthless monster like that Joey? It can barely even stand up!"

Joey chuckled. "You should know by now it's not smart to underestimate the power of the small Mai. This monster has the ability to attack your LP directly. Technically, it already could, since you have no monsters on the field, but you get my point. Now Raging Flame Sprite, attack Mai's LP directly!"

Raging Flame Sprite launches a fireball from its magic wand, reducing Mai's LP to 2000. But suddenly, Raging Flame Sprite's attack increases to 1600.

"What did you do?" Mai asked, shocked.

"Raging Flame Sprite has a second special ability." Joey explained. "Every time it attacks your LP directly, it gains an extra 1000 atk pts. Now, I activate the magic card: Surprise Attack From Beyond! This card only works when a monster has already attacked. It allows the monster to attack a second time! So Raging Flame Sprite, attack Mai's LP again!" Mai screamed in pain as the fireball hit her, reducing her LP to 400.

"Now that it successfully attacked you again, my monster gains _another_ 1000 atk pts!" Joey announced, as Raging Flame Sprite's atk increases to 2600. "Finally, I'll play the magic card: Sebek's Blessing! This magic card only works when a monster has attacked someone's LP directly. It increases my LP by the same amount that the opponent lost. So, thanks to my Raging Flame Sprite's attacks, I just gained 2200 LP!" Joey announced, as his LP increases to 3400.

"It looks like you're almost out of options, Mai!" Joey mocked. "You can't even use monsters to defend your LP anymore thanks to my monster's special ability! So it looks like the next turn will be your last!"


	14. Chapter 14

Thank you everyone who's reviewed! Here's the next chapter for you to enjoy. Don't forget to review

* * *

Chapter 14 

"Now, _here_ is a sight I have wanted to see for a _very_ long time!" Joey continued, as Mai sank to the ground moaning in pain from Joey's last attack. "After all the duels you've ever fought, you pushed all your opponents to their limits, and you humiliated every single one of them. How does it feel _now_, Mai? The pain, the agony, the humiliation of defeat, it's all coming together now!"

"I have to win this," Mai whispered weakly under her breath, struggling to stand back up. "I have to free Joey."

"You won't even walk out of the seal, Mai!" Joey shouted, hearing what Mai said, the Seal of Orichalcos glowing on his forehead. "You _will_ be sent to where you belong! Now then, last time I checked, it's your turn."

"Then I summon my Unfriendly Amazon in attack mode!" Mai said, her voice trembling, as her vision goes out of focus again. "My 2000 atk pt monster may look weak, but that'll change as soon as I play this: the magic card Rush Recklessly! This card increases the attack strength of a monster by 700 pts for one turn, and I'll give them to my Amazon!"

As Unfriendly Amazon's atk increases to 2700, Mai begins to shake again. "Now my Amazon, destroy his Raging Flame Sprite!" Unfriendly Amazon swings its sword, and Joey's monster is destroyed. "Now Joey, will you _please_ stop this madness?" Mai pleaded.

"What's the matter Mai?" Joey taunted, as his LP decrease to 3300. "Can't stand defeat? I will not be stopped just because you made one good move! Blue Flame Swordsman, I summon you to the field!"

Blue Flame Swordsman appears on the field (1800 atk, raised to 2300). "Now, I'll equip him with the magic card: Salamandra! This card only works on fire monsters like my swordsman. It raises the atk strength of a fire monster by 700 pts, so _my_ monster is now the stronger one!" Joey announced, as Blue Flame Swordsman's atk increases to 3000.

"Blue Flame Swordsman, destroy her Amazon!" Joey commanded. "Fortunately for you Mai, your Rush Recklessly magic card's effect doesn't wear off until your turn begins, so this attack won't reduce your LP to 0, but since it'll render you defenseless, I'll do it anyway!" Mai's Unfriendly Amazon is destroyed, and her LP decrease to 100.

Mai tried to shield herself from the force of the explosion, but fails as she is hurled into the seal's wall again. "Joey, please!" she begged, her eyes brimming with tears. "Don't you remember what we shared? I know that deep down, you value our friendship!"

But to Mai's surprise and horror, the seal on Joey's forehead began to pulse in green and red, and the entire dome of the seal began to pulse in green energy.

"_FRIENDSHIP!? THAT NEVER EXISTED BETWEEN YOU AND ME!!_" Joey roared, his eyes pulsing red. "_ALL YOU'VE EVER CARED ABOUT IN YOUR LIFE HAS BEEN YOURSELF!!_"

"I understand now Joey," Mai whimpered sadly. "You've forgotten what dueling has been about. I'm here to remind you, just like you did for me." She then points to Joey. "You are being fueled by anger, hatred, and your lust for revenge. True dueling is about trust and heart."

"Oh, so you want to talk about trust and heart, eh?" Joey countered. "Then so be it. I figured you were going to bring this up again before the duel is over, and I also know that you're not going to drop it until the conversation takes place. It might as well be now then, since this duel's almost over anyway!"

Blue Flame Swordsman and Joey's Golden Card Treasure Chest magic card suddenly disappear from the field, and black smoke begins to take its place.

"Joey, what's happening?" Mai cried, alarmed.

"Thanks to the dark powers of the Orichalcos, I can now create visions of the past," Joey explained, as the black smoke continues to swirl around them. "Now you'll finally see the truth about trust and heart!"

An image appears before them, showing when Joey and Mai first met each other on the ship to Duelist Kingdom, and how Mai was trying to persuade Yugi to cut Joey loose, saying that he deserves to be crushed along with Yugi, who she felt confused that the so-called squirt could beat Kaiba.

"I figured you were serious, but I thought that was just you displaying a sense of humor then. I was blinded by the bigger picture for me back then. I should've seen your _true_ colors!" Joey seethed.

"Back then I didn't know you well enough—" Mai began to protest, but Joey cut her off.

"I'm not done yet!" Joey shouted. "You call yourself a duelist with heart? Just look!" He pointed as another scene lights up, showing Mai humiliating Rex Raptor on the ship by her so-called telepathy. The scene then shifts to Pegasus's island, where Mai was using the same trick against another opponent, causing the boy to run away in tears, while Mai just laughed in triumph, taking the boy's star chips.

"You never cared about how others felt for the slightest moment! It's a simple matter of something called 'shameful joy': taking pleasure in the humiliation of others!" Joey accused. "But when that trick of yours failed you, you couldn't take it. You couldn't take the fact that you can never win duels without losing first!" The scene shifts again, this time showing Joey accusing Mai of spray different types of perfume on her cards, as well as her LP being wiped out by Joey's monster.

"And to think, you accused _me_ of cheating in that duel!" Joey went on, as another scene appears before them. This time, it showed Mai accusing Joey of cheating in winning the duel with her, and forcing him to duel Rex Raptor without advice from anyone. "You wanted revenge so badly that you'd go _any_ length to make it happen, didn't you?"

"But your plan failed again." Joey continued, pointing to another scene. "But you still saw yourself as all powerful and me as just a worthless duelist." The scene now displayed Mai hanging out with Yugi, Joey, Tea, and Tristan, and barking out orders for Joey and Tristan to fetch buckets of water.

Joey shook his head in disgust. "Now that I look back, I wonder: why didn't I just let myself starve to death? It's much better than having to deal with _you!_"

Mai shuddered at the images. While every part of her now wanted to go back and change her ways, she knew it wasn't possible. And Joey was simply stating facts, there was no denying them. "Joey, don't you remember at the Duelist Kingdom Finals?" she cried. "Have you forgotten what happened there proves I'm not a heartless person?"

"You're referring to this," Joey replied, as a scene lights up showing Mai giving her entry card to Joey so he can duel Bandit Keith. As Joey walks away to the dueling area, Mai said under her breath that they _are_ still friends.

"So you _do_ remember," Mai said, her eyes lighting up again. But to her surprise, Joey just started laughing evilly.

"Of course I do, but I didn't fully comprehend your act until now." Joey replied, as another image appeared next it. The one showed a scene of Yugi, Joey, Tristan, Tea, Mai, Duke, and Serenity by Domino Pier, right after Yugi freed Joey from Marik's mind control. In the scene, Mai was telling Serenity how Joey was going to be beaten by her in the Battle City Finals. "You didn't give me that entry card as an act of _friendship_ Mai, you gave it to me so that once my sister's eye operation is successful, she could watch you humiliate me in the dueling arena once again!"

"I was too blind to see it then," Joey went on, as another scene lit up. In this scene, Joey caught Mai as she fell off a flagpole when Jean-Claude Magnum kidnapped her. "When I look back, I realized that I should've just let you fall on the concrete ground!"

"But I thought I _did_ inspire you!" Mai cried in protest.

"That's only partially true Mai." Joey explained, as another image appears on the field. In this image, Joey was dueling against Odion on the Battle Ship, and Mai was telling Joey to fight on, for everyone's sake. "But you only wanted me to win because you still held the vendetta against me from Duelist Kingdom. You wanted me to win so that you could have the pleasure of beating me yourself!"

"That was how you had played me Mai," Joey accused, as three scenes appear on the field. The first scene showed how Joey was trying to defend Mai against Ra's attack. The second scene showed Marik sending Mai's mind to the shadow realm. The third scene showed Joey crying over Mai when Marik was defeated, only to be completely humiliated when Mai woke up, laughing like crazy. "Back then I thought there was a caring person inside you, and I tried to bring it out."

The image then shifts to Joey dueling against Marik, and being burned alive by the Winged Dragon of Ra. "But after all the havoc I went through, including being nearly killed, I found out that you didn't even care one bit!" Joey accused. "And that is why you went away as soon as Battle City ended!"

"Back then I didn't want to believe I had deep feelings for you like I do now," Mai whispered.

"Yeah, deep feelings of _anger and resentment!_" Joey shouted, as more images appear on the field, showing Mai defeating one duelist after another in America. "After coming to America, you dueled against duelists everywhere just so you can get the glory you thought you rightfully deserved! You were furious that your name had been erased, and that _my name_ had been put into its place!"

Another image appears, showing Mai being defeated by Valon. "And after you lost to Valon, you couldn't stand it anymore. You wanted your fame back, no matter how many people you had to hurt, kill, or humiliate to make that happen!" Joey accused, as an image displays Valon taking Mai to Dartz, where she received the power of the Orichalcos. Afterwards, Mai blew Valon off like dirt on the floor. "Even Valon tried to help you, though he didn't fully comprehend the situation, and look at how you repaid _him!_" Joey roared. "All you wanted was power and glory!"

"But it wasn't enough!" Joey continued angrily, as a scene displays Mai taking Pegasus's soul in his office. "I'm surprised Valon didn't see the _real_ you right away: a greedy, power hungry psychopath who cared nothing more than power and glory!"

Another scene lights up, showing Joey and Mai dueling in the Industrial Illusions building. "And despite all the people you hurt, none of them gave you much pleasure, if any at all!" The scene fades, then displays Mai rebuilding her deck after Valon had interfered with the duel, and thinking about how after she seals Joey away, she'll use the very power she got from Dartz to seal the rest of them away as well.

"Only when you saw _me_ get absorbed by the seal did you finally feel the pleasure you wanted to feel!" Joey seethed furiously as another image lit up, showing their duel right after Joey defeated Valon.

"Joey, don't you remember how it ended?" Mai cried, tears freely pouring down her face. "I _didn't_ want you gone! _I wanted to get you out of the seal!_"

Joey rolled his eyes. "That's obvious, Mai. It's not that you didn't want me gone, you just didn't want me gone _yet_," he explained, as an image showed Mai holding Joey in her arms as the seal shrank around them. "That defeat wasn't enough for you! You didn't think I suffered enough, that's why you tried to get me out of the seal! You wanted to humiliate me more!"

"You thought one humiliation was far too little! All that was in your head at that moment was how I defeated _you_ at Duelist Kingdom!" Joey shouted, the seal pulsing brighter between green and red on his forehead.

"Back then I didn't want to admit that I loved you," Mai whispered. "The way I still do."

"_YOU NEVER LOVED ME!!"_ Joey seethed. "Back then, I honestly thought there was a good person underneath your exterior. But despite all my efforts to try to see underneath that, you saw me as anything more than a stepping stone, an obstacle blocking your path to absolute power! And when I finally succeeded in breaking your cold hard exterior, I discovered that underneath it was just an _even more_ cold-hearted person!"

"You never cared _who_ suffered!" Joey ranted, as his 3000 atk pt Blue Flame Swordsman reappeared on the field. "As long as you had power by the end, nothing else mattered to you! And _that_ is what trust and heart was about between you and me! I gave you my trust before, and _this_ is how you repaid me! The power of the Orichalcos didn't warp me, I simply see the _real_ you now. And if I had the ability to look into people's hearts, your heart would be as black as ink!"

"You're only trying to end this duel because you want to avoid judgment to be passed on you! You can only stand being on the _giving end_, when you were giving out the torture to the people you hurt! You can't stand being on the _receiving end!_ But this time, I'm not giving you a choice in the matter!" Joey shouted, as the seal on his forehead glowed brighter.

"Joey, please don't make me do this!" Mai pleaded, hoping to talk Joey out of it.

"You should know by now that nothing you say is going to make me stop this duel Mai," Joey replied. "The duel will end as soon as one of our LP counters reaches 0. And since I still have 3300 LP and you have only 100, you'll lose as soon as I attack you on my next turn! And with the power of the Orichalcos behind me, _I will not be denied!_ Not to mention the fact that you won't even be able stay standing even if you _did_ somehow survive my next turn! You could never win even if I end my turn right now!"

"Please Joey, just end this." Mai said weakly, her vision steadily deteriorating.

"You're insane. I have a 3000 atk pt monster on the field!" Joey insisted. "You'll _never_ get one stronger than that with just one turn! But if you're so confident about your victory, then I'd like to see you try it. This duel is still on Mai, and I end my turn!"

"Then it time to determine which is truly the stronger force here: the power of the Orichalcos, or the power of our friendship!" Mai called, drawing her cards.

Joey's right on one thing, she thought. I _am_ pretty much out of strength. If the two cards I draw aren't the ones I need, I'll be too weak to continue next turn. Come on Joey, I need your support on this!

"And now," Mai announced, "I activate my Monster Reborn magic card!"

"Big deal, no monster in your graveyard can stand up to my monster!" Joey boasted.

"I didn't say I was going to revive a monster from _my_ graveyard, I'm going to revive one from _your_ graveyard!" Mai announced. "And this monster is one that you once cherished, but now have deserted: your Red Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"

"What's the point?" Joey asked, as his 3600 atk pt monster appears on Mai's side of the field. "It can't take away my remaining LP anyway!"

"Red Eyes Ultimate Dragon, destroy his Blue Flame Swordsman!" Mai ordered. The Red Eyes Ultimate Dragon shoots out a fireball, destroying Joey's monster and reducing his LP to 2700.

"You just activated my monster special ability!" Joey announced. "If Blue Flame Swordsman is destroyed, the original Flame Swordsman is summoned in its place right away!" Orange flames swirl from where Blue Flame Swordsman was destroyed and Flame Swordsman appears (1800 atk, raised to 2300)

"Next, I activate the magic card: Dark Spell Regeneration! The card allows me to activate a magic or trap card from either one of our graveyards, and I choose your Surprise Attack From Beyond magic card!"

"You still can't win after this attack!" Joey protested.

"That's true if it weren't for my final magic card: Reflect Energy!" Mai announced, as a tiny satellite positioned itself behind Joey. "Now, by sacrificing a monster from my hand or field, my Reflect Energy magic card will redirect the attack to your LP directly!"

"I sacrifice my Cyber Harpy from my hand. And now Red Eyes Ultimate Dragon, launch your attack!" Mai shouted weakly.

The Red Eyes Ultimate Dragon roars, then shoots out a fireball at Joey's swordsman, but is then absorbed by the satellite. The satellite then shoots the fireball back at Joey, engulfing Joey's side of the field in fire and light. When the smoke cleared, Joey was on his back.

"It worked," Joey said glumly, standing back up, his LP at 0. "You win, Mai."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"_Now_ are you finally satisfied, Mai?" Joey seethed angrily. "You got what you wanted in the end! You humiliated me again!"

Mai was on her knees, weeping. "I'm not like that anymore Joey," she whispered. "Contrary to what you think, I take no pleasure in the ending of this duel. I never once thought about fighting for my personal victory in this duel. I just wanted to save you—I love you, Joey."

"Then you must know what happens _now_, don't you Mai?" Joey asked rhetorically. "You were so busy talking about your own intentions that you completely forgot the fact the Seal of Orichalcos had been on the field this entire time, and now it's time for it to leave." Joey finished, as the seal began to shrink around him.

"_JOEY! NO!"_ Mai shrieked, struggling to run over to him as fast as her legs would carry her.

As she reached him, Mai reached out to embrace him. Surprisingly, this time Mai was able to successfully wrap her arms around Joey. It must be the seal, she thought, it must make _everything_ real, even the spiritual forms of people.

"_YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME AGAIN!"_ Mai cried, tears flowing down her face uncontrollably as she squeezed Joey with all her might. I will not let you pull the same stunt you pulled on me _again_ Joey, she thought desperately. This time, _nothing_ you do is going to get me to leave the seal! No matter how hard you push, no matter what you say, _I will not leave without you!_ _"I NEED YOU SO MUCH! PLEASE DON'T GO!"_ Mai cried, as the seal's edge reached both of them.

But to Mai's surprise, as the seal touched them, it suddenly disappeared. As she looked up, she gasped. The seal was no longer on Joey's forehead, and his eyes returned to their chocolate brown color.

"Joey? What's going on?" Mai asked, her eyes still brimming with tears as her arms went through Joey again now that the seal was no longer on the field.

"And that concludes the experiment." Joey announced, then turned to Hermos, stepping out from the dark. "See, Hermos? I told you she'd pass the test! Everyone is capable to changing their ways, and Mai was no exception."

"Test? What test? What are you talking about?" Mai asked, confused.

"Mai, recall what I said about the power of the Orichalcos in you after the stone around your neck shattered." Hermos replied. "I specifically told you, all that means is its power is now too weak to control you, but it is still present within you. After I released Joey's spirit from the seal, he concluded that while his efforts _did_ pay off, the task was not completely accomplished. And _that_ is the reason behind this entire duel. Joey wanted to accomplish one last thing: to extract the last of the dark powers of the Orichalcos from within your heart. Because of that, he had to play the Seal of Orichalcos."

"You see Mai," Joey explained. "By activating the seal, I allowed you to see what that card does to a person from the outside."

"But now _you've_ been infected by the power of the Orichalcos!" Mai protested, finally starting to catch on.

Joey chuckled. "Wrong, Mai. Ever heard of something called an illusion?"

"You mean, all the things you said, all the expressions of anger you expressed, they were all _fake?_" Mai asked, incredulous.

"Well, you always _did_ say I was a terrible liar." Joey laughed. "And in case you are wondering, that was also true regarding what I was telling you about trust and heart between you and me. In case you didn't notice, I left out two events that happened to between you and me that I did _not_ show in the visions. Furthermore, those visions you _did_ see, I twisted them that way as a way of testing you. You passed, since you did not give in to your pain and sorrow, which would eventually lead to the dark side."

Hermos activates the Claw of Hermos card again, displaying a scene where Joey and Mai fought side by side in Kaiba's virtual reality game right after Duelist Kingdom, where Mai embraced Joey lovingly. The image then switches to another scene, displaying Mai telling Joey how the best part about the Battle City Tournament was the fact that she got to know him.

"And if you still don't believe me that the entire Orichalcos ordeal in this duel was an illusion, just take a look at yourself and the field!" Joey reasoned.

Mai looked at the field—and gasped. The Orichalcos stone that she thought had attached itself to Joey was still on the concrete ground, shattered and broken. As she looked down at herself, she saw all the bruises she sustained in the duel on her arms and legs disappear immediately. She also felt her own strength rapidly returning. As she reached up to touch her face, she felt her bruises there also disappear.

"And finally, take a look at your duel disk Mai." Joey explained, pointing to Mai's left arm.

Mai's eyes widened as she looked at her duel disk. The dark duel disk she obtained from Dartz when she joined DOOM was now gone. It had been replaced the white Kaiba Corp. duel disk, the very one she wore when she competed in the Battle City Tournament. "Wait a minute!" she exclaimed. "Just how did you succeed in doing _that_? The duel isn't capable of affecting duel disks!"

"When Dartz gave you the power of the Orichalcos, it warped your mind and heart Mai," Hermos explained. "Dueling was part of your mind and heart, so it got warped too. You see, certain duelists have strong connections to dueling, like you and Joey. Therefore, your mind and heart are directly linked to your duel disk, and that was how your duel disk got warped when you received the power of the Orichalcos. But your duel disk has been restored to its original color now. That means the experiment was a success, and the last of the Orichalcos' powers have been purged from you."

"Right now you are probably wondering how you passed the test," Joey added. "It's quite simple. You might not have known this, but during our duel when I was trying to free _you_, the possibility of you being sealed away was on my mind the whole time. And no matter how hard I tried to avoid it, I knew that if I gave my all in that duel I certainly _could_ beat you, which would result in sealing you away. At the same time, however, I also knew that if I _could not_ free you from the Orichalcos' control, then I would have no choice but the seal you away, then rescue you later. As our LP both decreased, I knew that such a situation was becoming nearly unavoidable."

"And that is exactly the same thing that happened in _this_ duel." Joey continued. "Whether you knew it or not, you were being asked a question in that duel: would you put your feelings for me ahead of the fate of the world? I insisted to myself that as one of the best duelists I've known, you would make the right decision, so I refused to believe that you would answer 'yes' to that question. To confirm my beliefs, I gave my all in that duel also. Furthermore, I knew that after I lost my soul, there had to have been something else driving you, and the duel was the perfect opportunity for me to find out. And if you _truly_ knew what was best for everyone, you were going to win that duel one way or another. And since that is what had happened, that means the ordeal is over. You are now truly free, Mai."

"Joey…..thank you." Mai whispered, her eyes watering up again. As she reached out to try to touch him, her deck began to glow, as did Joey's deck that Hermos is carrying.

"Joey did more than just free you Mai," Hermos observed, as Mai's Harpy Lady and Cyber Harpy appeared in front of Mai, as did Joey's Blue Flame Swordsman and Gilford the Lightning.

"Now that your heart is pure once again, your monsters are finally free." Hermos continued. "Joey's monsters may have been angry at you for taking his soul, but just like Joey, they never once turned their backs on you. And just like Joey, it looks like they have forgiven you also." The four monsters smile brightly at Mai, then dissipate into the air.

"Well, it looks like my time is done here." Joey said, walking back to the card that he was sealed in. "Besides, the spell Hermos used to release me from the seal temporarily is going to wear off any second now, so it's time I take my leave."

"Joey! Please don't go! I need you!" Mai cried, coming over to Joey's side. "I understand why you pushed me out of the seal now. During those final moments, you wanted me to go pursue a life of happiness. What you didn't know was that you _are_ my life of happiness! I was never truly happy until I had you in my life!"

"Mai," Joey said gently, "when you were holding me in your arms as the seal shrank around us, I had never felt so warm in my entire life. In fact, when you cradled me in your arms I almost lost all sense of rational thought. Every part of me just wanted to give in to it and just lay limp in your arms and let you hold me forever. I pushed you out because I had to make sure one of us _does_ walk out of the seal."

"We'll meet again Mai," Joey continued. "And if you _truly_ feel that way, then all I have to say is this: Keep fighting, Mai. My soul may be gone, but my spirit is still with you, and it always will be."

Joey's spiritual form then dissipates into the air, leaving Mai alone once again.

"It's time I take my leave too," Hermos said, picking up the Claw of Hermos card and inserting it back into Joey's deck. "But before I go, there is one last thing I need to do."

Hermos began chanting in Atlantean again, as Mai's deck and Joey's deck began to glow again. Bright balls of light began to rise up from both decks, then start swirling around in the air.

"Hermos, what are you doing?" Mai asked, confused at what's happening.

"Joey said that he wanted you to have a life of true happiness." Hermos replied. "He also said that no matter what choice you make, his spirit will be with you. However, I'm very sure you are not going to just walk away to find that life. You're going to try to get Joey back from wherever the Orichalcos has taken him. Because of that, I'm simply creating Joey's final wish."

"Even if his spirit is truly with you, it can only go so far should you duel again. So, I'm taking it one step further." Hermos explained, as the lights stop swirling, then return to Mai's deck. "Remember, Joey's monsters have forgiven you for your actions. You saw that yourself when your monsters and Joey's monsters smiled at you, then to each other. Joey wanted the spirits of his monsters to be with you if you are truly going to fight for him, and I'm making that happen."

"My work here is done, Mai." Hermos said. "Whatever path you take now is up to you." A light then shot out from Joey's body and disappeared into the air, leaving Joey unconscious on the ground again.

"Mai, _now_ do you fully understand Joey's intentions?" Yami asked, walking up to her.

"I do." Mai said, her voice firm. "And I will bring Joey back again, no matter what it takes." She insisted, walking over to Joey's body and began to carry him over to her motorcycle.

"You know the way to Paradias HQ, don't you Mai?" Yami asked. Off Mai's nod, he continued. "Then take us there. We'll follow you."

Mai nodded gently, setting Joey's body on her motorcycle. "Take Valon's motorcycle and follow me."

Tristan got on Valon's motorcycle, with Yami and Tea riding behind his back. Mai then strapped Joey's body as tightly as she could to her, then gave the engine a hard kick. The four of them rode off to Paradias HQ, leaving Valon lying unconscious against the fence.

Paradias HQ

"We're here," Mai announced, parking her motorcycle in front of the building and pulling Joey's body off her motorcycle. "Here is where I usually meet with Dartz and the others when I joined DOOM."

"And it looks like we've got company," Yami said, activating his duel disk, as an Orichalcos soldier materializes right in front of Mai.

"I don't have time for this!" Mai shouted angrily, activating her duel disk and summoning out a Cyber Harpy. The Cyber Harpy slashes the Orichalcos soldier, but the Orichalcos soldier just reforms itself and tears Mai's harpy in half.

"Mai, you have to understand, only the legendary dragons Timaeus, Critius, and Hermos can destroy Orichalcos soldiers _permanently_." Yami explained. "As of now, all the monsters in _your _deck are useless. All they can do buy time."

"Now Timaeus, arise!" Yami shouted, raising his legendary dragon into the air. The legendary dragon appears on the field and mows down the Orichalcos soldier.

"People, I don't want to alarm you, but we just got _more_ company!" Tea exclaimed, as dozens of Orichalcos soldiers began to materialize out of thin air, surrounding the four of them.

"Mai, take Joey and get in the building!" Yami ordered. "Your monsters can't destroy theses soldiers anyway. I'll use Timaeus and hold them off here, now go!"

Mai nodded, picking Joey's body up from her motorcycle and dashes into the building. Don't worry Joey, she thought, carrying Joey on her back. I'll bring you back soon, just you wait. And I know you are with me now, physically or spiritually, even though your soul has been taken.

She reached the elevator and presses the button to the top floor, setting Joey's body in the elevator.

Now, she thought, to confront them face to face and save Joey just like I vowed to do.

But to her surprise, the elevator didn't stop at the top floor. Instead in kept going up until it reached the roof. As the elevator door opened, Mai saw a shadowy figure standing across the roof from her.

"Hello Mai," the shadowy figure said. "I've been expecting you."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"Isn't this a touching sight," Rafael mocked, gesturing to Joey, unconscious in the elevator. "I assume you've come here to avenge him?"

"You lied to me!" Mai shouted angrily. "All of you! I now know the truth, you were going to feed me to the Great Beast the entire time! You were never going to give me power at all!"

"So, Joey's emotions reached you after all," Rafael observed, as Mai walked out of the elevator, pulling Joey's body out with her. "It took all that just to make you see our _real_ intentions for you? You're even dumber than I thought, Mai."

"Save it, Rafael!" Mai seethed. "I'm aware that you know how to release souls, so release Joey from the seal right now before I _really_ get mad!"

"Just as I suspected," Rafael replied, ignoring Mai's anger. "Valon was too optimistic about you. I knew you'd turn against us. Valon was simply blinded by his own feelings for you to see the truth."

"You want to talk about truth? Joey helped me see the light, and now I'm no longer a slave to you anymore!" Mai countered. "Now, it's time for Dartz to answer for what he made me do to Joey. And that'll happen as soon as you release Joey's soul from the seal!"

"You were nothing more than a pawn to us Mai," Rafael revealed. "As for the truth, Master Dartz is the one who opened me up to the truth and made me the person I am today. You're just angry and frustrated because you no longer have this." Rafael finished, pulling the Seal of Orichalcos magic card from his deck. "Besides, you're of no more use to us. I only allowed you to stay because I had hoped that you would defeat Joey Wheeler for us, thus saving us the trouble. And since that is the case, the only thing you have left to offer us is your soul."

"I will not be tempted by its powers anymore Rafael!" Mai shouted. "Before, you're quite right. I _did_ want power and glory, but after Joey's sacrifice, I realized that I had something far stronger the entire time: love and friendship! Now I'm here to set things right again!"

"Your threats are nothing more than empty words," Rafael said, rolling his eyes and activating his dark duel disk. "But if you're so confident that you can set things right, then just duel me. Besides, I had a feeling Joey's sacrifice would corrupt you."

"_He did not corrupt me!"_ Mai raged, also activating her duel disk. "And he is still here with me in spirit, so I know we'll defeat you together, now let's duel!" (Mai's LP: 4000, Rafael's LP: 4000)

"Since you're going to lose anyway, you can go first!" Rafael replied, drawing his cards.

"Fine! Watch this! I summon my Harpy Lady in defense mode!" Mai announced, as her monster appeared on the field (1400 def). "I'll place two cards face down and end my turn."

"As you can see Mai," Rafael said, activating the Seal of Orichalcos, "now that you no longer have this card, you're nothing more than a nuisance. Now, I place three cards face down on the field, then I'll summon my Back-Up Guardna in defense mode! Then I'll play the magic card: Guardian's Treasure. This continuous magic card allows me to draw two cards, as well as allow me to draw two cards every turn. All I have to do is discard my hand, but since I had no other cards in my hand when I played that card, I can skip that rule!" Rafael's beast appears on the field (2200 def), its 500 atk increased to 1000. "That'll end my turn Mai, let's see what _you've_ got!"

"With pleasure, Rafael!" Mai announced, drawing her card. Her eyes widened in disbelief. _This_ isn't one of the monsters in my deck! What did Hermos do to it?

"What's the matter Mai?" Rafael taunted, "Didn't get the card you wanted?"

Mai smiled. "On the contrary Rafael, I simply didn't get the card I _expected_. Now, I summon Raging Flame Sprite to the field in attack mode!" A fire lily appears on the field, with an atk of 100. "Raging Flame Sprite has a special ability that allows me to attack your LP directly, and now it's time for it to attack!"

"Not so fast Mai!" Rafael cut in, activating one of his face down cards, "I activate the magic card: Revenge Sacrifice! Then I'll activate another face down card: Twin Swords of Flashing Light! I'll equip this card to my Back-Up Guardna after discarding a card from my hand. With it, I can summon my Guardian Tryce to the field! Since it is a 5-star monster, I need a sacrifice, and your Raging Flame Sprite will do just that!"

Guardian Tryce appears on the field, its 1900 atk increased to 2400. "Finally, I'll use Back-Up Guardna's special ability to move my equip magic card to my Guardian, giving it another 500 atk pts. Now Guardian Tryce, destroy her Harpy Lady!" Rafael commanded.

"I activate my face down trap: Mirror Force!" Mai revealed. "This'll send your monster's atk right back at itself!" Guardian Tryce is destroyed, but suddenly Raging Flame Sprite reappears on Rafael's side of the field, its 100 atk raised to 600. "What? How did you do that?"

"Guardian Tryce has a special ability Mai," Rafael explained. "If destroyed, the monster sacrificed to summon it returns to the field. Now Raging Flame Sprite, attack Mai's LP directly!" Raging Flame Sprite shoots its fireball at Mai, reducing her LP to 3400, and its atk increases to 1600. "And when Raging Flame Sprite attacks an opponent directly, its atk increases by 1000!"

"Then allow me to undo it!" Mai announced. "I summon my Cyber Harpy in attack mode!" Cyber Harpy appears on the field, with an atk of 1800. "Now Cyber Harpy, destroy Raging Flame Sprite! And since it's _your_ monster now, _you'll_ be the one who loses LP Rafael!" Raging Flame Sprite is destroyed, reducing Rafael's LP to 3800.

"You'll never learn, Mai." Rafael replied. "I activate my last face down card: Shooting Star Bow! The equip magic card allows me to summon my Guardian Ceal!" Guardian Ceal appears on the field (1700 atk, raised to 2200). "Of course, my Shooting Star Bow _does_ decrease its atk by 1000," Rafael explained, as his monster's atk decreases to 1200.

"So why do it?" Mai asked, confused.

"Guardian Ceal has a special ability as well," Rafael replied. "By sending an equip magic card on my side of the field to the graveyard, I can destroy a monster on your side of the field. Therefore, I'll send my Shooting Star Bow to the graveyard to destroy your Cyber Harpy! Now Guardian Ceal, attack Mai's LP directly!"

"I think not Rafael!" Mai countered. "I activate my other face down trap: Negate Attack! The trap stops your Guardian right on the spot. Furthermore, you are not allowed to attack anymore for the rest of your turn!"

"You're simply stalling," Rafael insisted, as his Guardian Ceal's atk returns to 2200. "I'll place another card face down and end my turn."

Come on Joey, Mai thought, looking back at Joey's body lying against the wall, I need your help on this! "Now, I summon my Goblin Attack Force to the field!"

"Wait a minute!" Rafael protested. "Your deck never had such monsters!"

"That's true," Mai replied. "But you are not facing just my deck, Rafael. Didn't I tell you? I have Joey's support, so you are facing the combined strength of our decks! With it, I will not be beaten!" Five Goblins appear on the field, with an atk of 2300. "Now Goblin Attack Force, destroy his Guardian Ceal!"

"You'll pay for that!" Rafael shouted as his monster is destroyed and his LP decrease to 3700. "Remember, your monster must switch into defense mode after this attack, and its def is 0. So I'll take advantage of it! Now, I'll equip my Back-Up Guardna with the magic card: Butterfly Dagger! This allows me to summon Guardian Elma to the field." Guardian Elma appears on the field (1300 atk, raised to 1800, 1200 def).

"I activate my Back-Up Guardna's special ability again, to move the equip magic card to Elma. It raises her atk strength by 300." Rafael explained, as Guardian Elma picks up the dagger, her atk increased to 2100. "Now, I activate the special ability of Guardian Elma, which allows me to bring back an equip magic card from my graveyard, and I choose my Guardian Shield, an equip magic card a discarded when I played my Twin Swords of Flashing Light magic card. The equip magic card increases the def pts of a monster equipped to it by 300." Rafael explained, as Elma's def increases to 1500.

"Finally, I activate the magic card: Fairy's Meteor Crush! For one turn, I can do damage to your LP even if your monster is in def mode, as long as my atk is higher." Rafael explained. "Guardian Elma, destroy her Goblin Attack Force!"

Mai covered her eyes as her monster is destroyed, reducing her LP to 1300. "Then I play Cyber Harpy in attack mode!" she announced, as her monster appeared on the field (1800 atk). "Next, I'll play the equip magic card: Cyber Shield! This gives my Cyber Harpy another 500 atk pts, enough to destroy your Guardian! Cyber Harpy, destroy his Guardian Elma!" Cyber Harpy's attack increases to 2300, and launches its attack on Rafael's monster.

But when the attack ended, Guardian Elma remained on the field, her Guardian Shield destroyed. "What!? But why didn't your guardian get destroyed?" Mai asked. "Your monster had less attack pts than mine did! What did you do to keep it standing on the field?"

"That is how my Guardian Shield works Mai," Rafael explained. "I can sacrifice it in order to prevent my monster from being destroyed, though I still have to take damage from the attack." Rafael's LP decrease to 3500.

Mai shook her head. "All right, I'll place a card face down and end my turn."

"Then I'll activate my face down card: Wicked-Breaking Flamberge! By equipping this magic card to my Back-Up Guardna, I can now summon my Guardian Baou in atk mode!" Rafael explained, as Guardian Baou appears on the field (800 atk, increased to 1300). "I use Back-Up Guardna's special ability to move the equip magic card over to by Guardian Baou. This increases my guardian's atk by 500 pts."

"Well it's still weaker than my Cyber Harpy." Mai observed, as Guardian Baou's atk increases to 1800.

"That's true, so I'll play the magic card Block Attack! This switches a monster on your side of the field into def mode for one turn." Rafael replied, as Mai's harpy switches to def mode (1300 def). "Now Guardian Baou, destroy her harpy!"

But to Rafael's surprise, when the attack was over _two_ Cyber Harpies stood on Mai's side of the field in atk mode (1800 atk). "What!? How did you get two harpies on the field when it was still my turn?"

"Forget about my face down card Rafael?" Mai smiled. "That was my Elegant Egotist magic card, which allows me to turn one harpy into three, so right before you destroyed by Cyber Harpy I turned it into three Cyber Harpies."

"No matter, I still have the stronger monster." Rafael boasted. "You see, Guardian Baou has a special ability as well. Every time it destroys a monster, it gains 1000 atk pts, so I still have the upper hand!" Guardian Baou roars, as its atk increases to 2800.

His guardian monsters are even tougher than I thought, Mai observed. Come on Joey, I need your support on this! I need to defeat him! "All right, my move!" Mai announced, drawing her card.

But to Rafael's surprise, as Mai pulled the card from her deck, she began to glow brightly. "And just what exactly is happening to you?" Rafael demanded.

Just outside the Paradias HQ building, Yami, Tristan, and Tea turned their heads toward the building to see the entire roof shining brightly.

"What's going on?" Rafael demanded, as the shining light coming from Mai become near blinding. "What did you just do?"

I knew our spirits would be together, but I never expected this, Mai thought, raising the card into the air. Like Mai, the card too began to shine near blinding light.

_Joey, this one's for you!_ "Now," Mai shouted. "I summon the Claw of Hermos!"


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"_Impossible!"_ Rafael exclaimed as Joey's legendary dragon appears on the field and roars at his Back-Up Guardna and Guardian Baou in anger. "The powers of the legendary dragons and the Orichalcos cannot be mixed! Even though you no longer have the Orichalcos crystal around your neck, some of its powers are still present within you! Furthermore, you're not even one of the three chosen duelists! You _can't_ wield that card!"

Mai smiled happily. Thank you Joey, she thought. I knew your spirit would help me through this duel. "Didn't I tell you Rafael?" she replied. "I'm not dueling alone. Joey's soul may be gone, but his spirit is still here, and he is still fighting by my side. _That_ is why you saw some of Joey's monsters appear in this duel. As for how I am able to wield the Claw of Hermos, let's just say I between the time when Joey lost his soul and me coming to face you, I was purified."

Rafael shook his head in disgust. "So be it, Mai!" he shouted. "But understand this, that dragon will guarantee _nothing!_ Unlike you, Hermos will be nothing more than a major thorn in my side. Now, finish your move!"

"As you wish Rafael! Now Hermos, combine yourself with one of my Cyber Harpies!" Mai called out. One of her harpies flew into Hermos, and a claw-like weapon appeared on the field. "Meet my Talon Claw, a perfect weapon for my other Cyber Harpy!"

"And just what does it do?" Rafael asked, confused.

"By equipping it to my Cyber Harpy, Talon Claw allows me to add my Harpy's def pts to its atk pts!" Mai explained, as her Cyber Harpy's atk increases to 3100. "Now Cyber Harpy, destroy his Guardian Baou!"

Guardian Baou is destroyed, reducing Rafael's LP to 3200. "I'll place this card face down, that ends my turn."

"Your powered up harpy means nothing, watch _this!"_ Rafael replied. "I play the equip magic card: Gravity Axe! And I'll equip it to my Back-Up Guardna! Now I can summon my Guardian Grarl to field." Guardian Grarl appears on the field, its 2500 atk raised to 3000. Then I'll activate my Back-Up Guardna's special ability, which allows me to transfer Gravity Axe over to my Guardian Grarl, increasing its atk by another 500 pts!" Rafael explained, as Guardian Grarl's atk increases to 3500.

"Guardian Grarl, destroy her Cyber Harpy!" Rafael ordered. Mai's monster is destroyed, as her LP decrease to 900. "I'll place one card face down on the field and end my turn. So much for your all powerful card Mai!"

"Then I play the magic card: Thirst for Compensation! This allows me to special summon two 4-star or lower monsters right from my hand, and I choose my two Harpy Ladies in defense mode!" Mai announced. "Then I'll play my Amazoness Swordswoman in attack mode. Finally, I play the magic card Harpy Lady Phoenix Formation! With two Harpy Ladies, I can destroy two of your monsters and subtract their atk pts from your LP, so it looks like I win the duel!"

"That trick won't work on me Mai!" Rafael countered. "I activate my Guardian Force trap card, which allows me to destroy a magic card right away!"

"Hold on Rafael!" Mai protested. "Guardian Force doesn't work if you have monsters in your graveyard. You already have Guardian Tryce, Guardian Ceal, and Guardian Baou in your graveyard!"

"That's true, but Guardian Force has an alternative for that." Rafael explained. "By paying 300 LP for every monster in my graveyard, Guardian Force will still destroy your Phoenix Formation!" His LP decrease to 2300, as Mai's Phoenix Formation is destroyed. "Now Guardian Grarl and Guardian Elma, destroy her two Harpy Ladies!"

Mai's two harpies are destroyed, leaving her Amazoness Swordswoman as her only defense. "Then I'll attack your Guardian Grarl with my Amazoness Swordswoman!" Mai announced. Guardian Grarl destroys her monster, but Rafael's LP are down to 300. "You see Rafael, Amazoness Swordswoman has a nasty side effect. If it attacks a stronger monster, the opponent takes the damage, not myself. I'll place one more monster in defense mode and lay one last card face down."

"Then it's time I finish you off!" Rafael seethed. "But first, I think I'll play the magic card: Poison of the Old Man! This allows me to increase my LP by 1200!" he explained, as his LP increase to 1500. "Now Guardian Elma, destroy her face down monster!"

"You just attacked Cyber Jar!" Mai smiled. "Now every monster on the field is destroyed, along with our entire hands. Now we must draw 5 cards, then summon all 4-star monsters to the field right away. I summon my Cyber Harpy in attack mode, let's see what you've got!"

"You'll pay for that!" Rafael shouted angrily, as his Guardian Grarl, Guardian Elma, and Back-Up Guardna are destroyed. "And you'll pay for it right now! For now I'm about to end this duel and seal you away!"

"Just what are you planning?" Mai asked, her voice slightly wavering.

"Watch _this!"_ Rafael shouted. "First I lay one card face down, then I'll play the magic card: Celestial Sword Eatos! Now I can summon my Guardian Eatos to the field!" Guardian Eatos appears on the field, then screams in pain as her wings turn from an angelic white to a demonic black, her 2500 atk raised to 3000.

"Just look at what you did to your guardian!" Mai shouted, as the seal appears on Eatos's head, turning her eyes red and her angelic white wings into demonic black wings.

"It's stronger than ever now," Rafael replied, as Eatos picks up the Celestial Sword, increasing her attack to 3300. "Now, I'm sure you know what happens now, right? With the Celestial Sword, Eatos will now absorb the power of all your monsters in your graveyard! Eatos, raise your sword and drain the power of Mai's monsters!" Rafael ordered.

Raging Flame Sprite, Goblin Attack Force, Amazoness Swordswoman, Cyber Jar, 4 Cyber Harpies, and 2 Harpy Ladies are sucked out of Mai's graveyard, and Eatos's attack increases to 17900.

"Guardian Eatos, destroy her Cyber Harpy and end this duel!" Rafael commanded. Guardian Eatos launches its attack, engulfing Mai's side of the field in a bright flash of light. "End of duel Mai, I win!"

But when the light subsided, Mai's Cyber Harpy is still standing. Guardian Eatos's Celestial Sword is shattered, and her atk decreases to 3000. "What!? How did you survive my attack?" Rafael demanded.

Mai smiled. "Did you forget about my two face down cards? One of them saved me. It is a trap, courtesy of Joey, known as Celebration of Creation! It activates if a monster is summoned to the field using a magic or trap card, like you did when you summoned Eatos. It allowed me to end your turn whenever I wanted. Furthermore, your Celestial Sword magic card is what give Eatos its power to add my monsters' atk to your monster, and it only lasts for one turn. So it looks like you just wasted your most powerful card!"

"You'll pay for mocking the power of my Guardian Eatos!" Rafael seethed. "Now make a move!"

"It's time to end this duel!" Mai announced. "I summon another Cyber Harpy in attack mode!" The harpy appears on the field, with an atk of 1800. "Then I'll lay one card face down and end my turn."

"You're quite right! It's time for this duel to end!" Rafael announced. "Now Guardian Eatos, destroy her Cyber Harpy and wipe her out!"

"Not so fast Rafael!" Mai cut in. "I activate my Phoenix Wing Wind Blast trap card! By discarding one card from my hand, I can send a monster on your side of the field right back into your deck, and I choose your Guardian Eatos!"

"Nobody makes a fool of my Eatos and gets away with it!" Rafael roared, as his monster disappears from the field. "I'll place another card face down and end my turn."

"Cyber Harpy, wipe out the rest of Rafael's LP!" Mai ordered. "This duel ends now, Rafael!"

"Not just yet!" Rafael countered. "I activate my trap: Crystal Seal! This allows me to seal up your Cyber Harpy in a crystal prison!" Crystal blocks form around Mai's monster, sealing her in a block of ice.

"That may well be, but I know your trap's weakness. If I can change the atk strength of my Cyber Harpy, your trap will automatically deactivate!" Mai pointed out. "Now, I lay one card face down and end my turn."

"Then allow me to finish you off!" Rafael replied. "I activate my trap card: Zombie's Jewel! This trap allows me to activate a magic card from either one of our graveyards, so I activate my Celestial Sword of Eatos once again! Of course, by playing this trap, you are allowed to draw one card, not that it will help you!"

Guardian Eatos immediately returns to the field, its 2500 atk raised to 3000. "As you know, if Celestial Sword of Eatos is played, my Guardian Eatos is automatically summoned to the field, regardless of whether it is in my hand or deck." Rafael explained. "So it looks like your plan to win the duel just failed!"

"Mine, on the other hand, is just about to succeed!" Rafael continued, as Eatos raises her sword to drain Mai's monsters in the graveyard again, increasing her atk to 17900. "Furthermore, your harpy is still stuck in my Crystal Seal. That means your LP are wide open to attack. Guardian Eatos, wipe out her remaining 900 LP!"

Guardian Eatos launches the attack, engulfing Mai's side of the field in smoke. But when the smoke clears, Mai's LP remain at 900. "Did you forget about my face down cards Rafael?" Mai smiled. "One of them was my Waboku trap, which reduces all battle damage in the attack down to 0. And just like before, your Celestial Sword only lasts one turn, so your Eatos will return to its original atk once your turn ends!"

"You still have no monsters that can stand up to my Eatos!" Rafael insisted as Guardian Eatos's atk returns to 3000. "So I will still win!"

"Then I activate my last face down card: Level Conversion Lab! Now I can summon my Harpy's Pet Dragon to the field!" Mai announced.

"Hold on," Rafael protested. "That monster is a 7-star monster, which means you have to tribute two monsters for it. You can't even tribute your Cyber Harpy thanks to my Crystal Seal!"

"That's true, but that'll change once my trap takes effect." Mai explained. "Level Conversion Lab will now generate a dice. Whatever the number the dice lands on will be the level of my Pet Dragon for this turn. Now it's time to find out!" Come on Joey, Mai mentally pleaded. I need your support on this!

The dice lands on a four. "Since four is the result, it means my Harpy's Pet Dragon is a 4-star monster for this turn, allowing me to summon it to the field with no tributes!" Mai announced, summoning her monster.

"Big deal, it only has 2000 atk pts, too weak for my Guardian Eatos!" Rafael boasted.

"That's why I'll also play the magic card: Altar of Restoration!" Mai replied. "By discarding the top two cards from my deck, I can now bring any monster back from the graveyard, and I choose the Claw of Hermos!" The legendary dragon appears on the field and roars at Rafael.

"That doesn't scare me Mai, now finish your move already!" Rafael said, rolling his eyes.

"You should be careful what you say Rafael, it may backfire on you." Mai replied. "Now, I combine Hermos with my Harpy's Pet Dragon to form this: Harpy's Pet Dragon Sword! And I'll equip it to my Cyber Harpy!"

"And just what do you think you're planning Mai?" Rafael demanded, as the Cyber Harpy's hand breaks out of the crystal seal to pick up the Harpy's Pet Dragon Sword.

"The Harpy's Pet Dragon Sword increases the atk of the monster equipped to it by 1000 pts." Mai explained. "You know what happens now. Since my Cyber Harpy's atk is now at 2800, your Crystal Seal trap must deactivate."

"So what? It's still weaker than my Guardian Eatos!" Rafael countered.

Mai smiled. "My new magic card has another effect, Rafael. As you know, Harpy's Pet Dragon gets 300 atk pts for every harpy on the field. This ability has been incorporated into the Harpy's Pet Dragon Sword as well. If a harpy is equipped with it, it will gain 300 extra atk pts, so it looks like my Cyber Harpy is now the stronger monster!" she replied, as Cyber Harpy's atk increases to 3100.

"I told you Rafael, you are facing the combined strength of both me and Joey. The Harpy's Pet Dragon Sword is no exception. It was created from the monsters in both our decks, and with it our combined strengths!" Mai explained. "Now Cyber Harpy, destroy his Guardian Eatos!" Cyber Harpy swings its sword, and Rafael's Guardian Eatos is destroyed, reducing his LP to 1400.

That one was for you Joey, Mai thought.

But to Mai's surprise and horror, a chasm opens up in front of Rafael, and a masked and bandaged creature comes out. "Rafael, what's happening?"

"My Guardian Eatos is a creature of light and purity," Rafael explained, furious that Mai destroyed his monster. "When it is destroyed, it is replaced by a creature of darkness, so say hello to my Guardian Dreadscythe!"


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"Am I supposed to be afraid of your new monster?" Mai rolled her eyes. "It only has 2500 atk pts, and I'm sure it does not hold the exact ability to add the atk strength of all my monsters in the graveyard, which means my Cyber Harpy is the stronger monster!"

"You'll never learn." Rafael replied. "Now, just finish your move so I can end this duel already. You only have 900 LP left, so you can't last much longer anyway!"

"Fine! I'll place a card face down. Let's see what your Dreadscythe can do!" Mai challenged. No matter how much he pumps up his new monster, she thought, it can't be stronger than mine once I activate my face down card.

"With pleasure," Rafael replied, as the seal appears on Guardian Dreadscythe's head, raising its atk to 3000. "Now, I'll equip my guardian with the magic card: Reaperscythe! This magic card allows the monster equipped to it to gain 500 atk pts for every monster in my graveyard." Off Mai's horrified look, Rafael smiled evilly. "And in case you haven't been counting, that's seven. This means my Guardian Dreadscythe now gains 3500 atk pts!"

Mai watches in horror as Rafael's Dreadscythe increases its atk to 6500. "Go, Guardian Dreadscythe! Destroy her Cyber Harpy and end this duel now!" Rafael ordered.

"Now just yet Rafael!" Mai cut in. "I activate my face down magic card: Pump Up! This allows me to double the atk strength of a monster one my side of the field, and I choose my Cyber Harpy!" Cyber Harpy's atk increases from 3100 to 6200. "She may still be the weaker monster, but this duel is not over yet!"

Guardian Dreadscythe destroys Mai's Cyber Harpy, reducing her LP to 600. "You'll just delay the inevitable," Rafael seethed. "Now, since you don't have any monsters that can stand up to my Guardian Dreadscythe anyway, I'll give you some good news. As long as my Guardian Dreadscythe is on the field, I am not allowed to summon any other monsters under any circumstances, so all you have to worry about is my Dreadscythe. I'll play one card face down on the field. Your move, Mai!"

"And I'll destroy your Dreadscythe right now!" Mai vowed, drawing her card. "First, I activate my Graceful Charity magic card, allowing me to draw three cards and discard two."

"What are you up to now Mai?" Rafael demanded.

Mai smiled. "You mentioned earlier that your Reaperscythe magic card is what allows your Dreadscythe to gain 500 atk pts for every monster in your graveyard, so I'll start with that! I play the magic card: Harpy's Feather Duster! Now I can destroy every magic and trap card on your side of the field! It won't destroy the Seal of Orichalcos since that card is too powerful, but it _will_ destroy your Guardian Treasure magic card and your Reaperscythe magic card!"

A whirlwind swirls around Rafael's side of the field, and his two magic cards are destroyed. Guardian Dreadscythe's atk returns to 3000. "Looks like it worked!" Mai announced triumphantly. "Now I'll have a much easier time destroying your monster!"

But suddenly, a black pit opens up in front of Rafael, as Guardian Dreadscythe pulls the Reaperscythe back out, increasing its atk to 6500 again.

"What!?" Mai cried in disbelief. "I already destroyed that magic card! How did you bring it back when it's still my turn?"

Rafael laughed. "Guardian Dreadscythe has a special ability as well, Mai. It can equip itself to any magic card in my graveyard, a special ability that can be activated regardless of whose turn it is!"

"Well I can still destroy your Dreadscythe!" Mai shouted. "These two cards are a gift from Joey, and with them, I know I'll defeat you with them! Now, I play the magic card: Scapegoat!"

"Am I supposed to be intimidated by a pile of cotton hairballs, Mai?" Rafael taunted as four scapegoat tokens appear on the field.

Mai smiled. "I didn't bring them out to _defend_ me, Rafael. I brought them out to destroy your Dreadscythe! Now, I sacrifice three of my scapegoats so I can summon Gilford the Lightning!" The warrior appears on the field (2800 atk) and glares at Guardian Dreadscythe. "Now, when Gilford the Lightning is summoned by sacrificing 3 monsters, it destroys all monsters on my opponent's side of the field!"

"Now Gilford, destroy his Dreadscythe!" Mai ordered. Gilford the Lightning raises its sword, as Rafael's side of the field is struck by several blows of lightning.

But when the lighting strikes subsided, Guardian Dreadscythe remained standing on the field. "What!?" Mai exclaimed in disbelief. "But why didn't your Dreadscythe get destroyed?"

"Guardian Dreadscythe has another special ability Mai," Rafael explained. "And with this ability, it is impossible for you to win! By discarding one card from my hand, I can prevent my guardian from destroyed by monsters in battle, by magic cards, by trap cards, and by the special ability of monster cards. Furthermore, by discarding one card from my hand, you also cannot send my guardian back into my hand, back into my deck, or remove it from play."

This is madness, Mai thought in horror. There's no point in trying to destroy that Reaperscythe magic card since Rafael can bring it back right away. And with no way to send his Dreadscythe off the field, how am I exactly supposed to win?

"I'll place two cards face down and end my turn." Mai said, sighing in dismay.

"I should finish you right now!" Rafael said. "Fortunately for you, by bring back my Reaperscythe magic card when it was still your turn means my Guardian Dreadscythe is not allowed to attack this turn, so you get one more turn in delaying your downfall. I'll face this card face down on the field and end my turn."

What is Rafael trying to do? Mai wondered, looking at Rafael's two face down cards. "I'll place another card face down, then I'll activate my Swords of Revealing Light magic card to stop you from attacking for three turns!"

"That means nothing!" Rafael boasted. "I play my De-Spell magic card, allowing me to destroy one magic card on the field: your Swords of Revealing Light!" The swords fade from Rafael's side of the field. "Now Guardian Dreadscythe, destroy her Gilford and end this duel!"

"Not just yet Rafael!" Mai countered. "I activate my trap card: Shift! This trap only works when one of my monsters is targeted by a magic card, a trap card, or a monster attack and allows me to change the attack to another monster. So, I choose my remaining scapegoat token!"

"You'll have to do better than that Mai!" Rafael insisted as Dreadscythe slices the last scapegoat in half. "I play my Surprise Attack From Beyond magic card! This card works whenever a monster on my side of the field has attacked, and allows it to attack again! Guardian Dreadscythe, destroy her Gilford and wipe her out!"

"I activate my face down magic card: Curse of Fiend!" Mai announced. "This magic card forces every monster on the field to switch positions, so my Gilford and your Dreadscythe must all go into defense mode now!"

"Just as I expected out of you Mai," Rafael replied. "In that case, I'll activate one of _my_ face down cards: the trap card Spirit Hunting! This trap switches the positions of all monsters on my side of the field. If a monster was in the middle of an attack and got switched into defense mode, Spirit Hunting will allow it to go back into attack mode and continue its attack. Furthermore, this trap destroys all monsters on your side of the field if they are in defense position, so your last defense is now gone!"

Mai's Gilford the Lightning is destroyed. "Guardian Dreadscythe, end this now!" Rafael commanded.

"I activate my last face down card: Deck Control!" Mai announced. "This magic card was also given to me by Joey, and it will save me. Now, all I have to do is guess one magic or trap card in your deck. If you have it, it will activate on my side of the field."

"I choose your Aid to the Doomed magic card!" Mai shouted. A white priest appeared in front of Dreadscythe, stopping its attack. "Since this is _your_ card, I assume you know that it works only if a monster has already attacked this turn. Then, by discarding two cards from my hand, I can prevent a monster's attack for this turn!"

"You're still just stalling," Rafael insisted. "I activate my last face down card also: the trap card Minor Meteors! This card allows me to do 100 pts of damage to your LP for every monster I destroyed this turn, and there are two, so you lose 200 LP!" An emerald fireball comes down from the sky and strikes Mai, reducing her LP to 400. "Now, for my last maneuver, I'll activate the effect of my Reaperscythe magic card. I can discard a monster from my hand to increase the atk of the monster equipped to the Reaperscythe magic card by 500 pts, so I'll choose my Guardian Kay'est!"

This is not good, Mai thought, as Guardian Dreadscythe's attack increases to 7000. What I really need now is a strong monster! "Now, I activate my Card of Sanctity magic card, forcing both of us to draw until we have six cards in our hands!" Mai announced, drawing her cards.

Her eyes widened. Joey's most powerful monster is in my hand, she thought. Maybe I can use this to defeat his Dreadscythe. "Now, I activate the magic card: Polymerization! This allows me to fuse these three cards in my hand to form a more powerful monster! Behold, the most powerful monster given to me by a close friend: Joey's Red Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"

Rafael laughed. "That monster only has 3600 atk pts, Mai. In case you haven't been paying attention, my Dreadscythe has 7000 atk pts!"

"I'll lay this card face down and end my turn." Mai ended. "Do your worst, Rafael!"

"My pleasure," Rafael replied. "Guardian Dreadscythe, destroy her dragon and wipe out her remaining LP!"

"I activate my face down magic card: Megamorph! If I have less LP than you do, I can double the attack of one of my monsters!" Mai announced, as her Red Eyes Ultimate Dragon's atk increases to 7200. "Furthermore, this effect will not wear off until I have more LP than you do!"

"All right, make a move then!" Rafael seethed as Guardian Dreadscythe's attack failed.

"I intend to. Red Eyes, attack his Dreadscythe now!" Mai ordered. The Red Eyes Ultimate Dragon shoots out a fireball at Guardian Dreadscythe, reducing Rafael's LP to 1200. "Well, it looks like your Dreadscythe has a weakness after all," Mai observed. "If I attack it with a stronger monster, you still lose LP despite the face that your Dreadscythe remains on the field. I'll lay four cards face down and end my turn."

"Well let's see it stop _this!_" Rafael shouted. "I discard another Guardian Elma to the graveyard! Now my Dreadscythe's attack is increased to 7500! Guardian Dreadscythe, destroy her Red Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"

Guardian Dreadscythe swings its reaperscythe, destroying Mai's monster and reducing her LP to 100.

"This duel is just about over Mai, but if it'll make you feel better, you can go down with a full hand," Rafael announced. "I activate my Card of Sanctity magic card also, so we both must draw until we are holding six cards in our hands."

I only have one shot left, Mai thought. Come on Joey, I need every bit of your support on this move!

As she drew her card, she felt a surge of energy go through her.

That must be Joey's strength combining with my own, she thought. Thank you Joey, I know with this, we'll beat him together.

"I activate my Monster Reborn magic card so I can bring back my Red Eyes Ultimate Dragon!" Mai announced, as the 3600 atk pt monster reappears on the field. "Now, I play another Polymerization magic card. Now watch, as I show you the _true_ power of the combined strengths of me and Joey, Rafael!"

"I fuse my Cyber Harpy with my Red Eyes Ultimate Dragon. Now come forth: Harpy Dragon Warrior!" Mai shouted. A bright ball of light appears before the Red Eyes Ultimate Dragon engulfing the entire field.

When the light faded, Mai's Cyber Harpy was riding elegantly on Joey's Red Eyes Ultimate Dragon, fused as one (4300 atk, 3400 def). "Now, I'll play another magic card: Scapegoat!" Mai announced.

"That won't help you," Rafael observed. "Your monster is far too weak. So much for your combined strengths!"

"Well I never said that I was done, Rafael!" Mai replied. "Now, I play an equip magic card, a card that describes me and Joey's combined strength: United We Stand! A monster equipped with this card gains 800 atk pts for every monster on my side of the side, including itself! And with 5 monsters, my Harpy Dragon Warrior gets an additional 4000 atk pts!"

"So what, you still can't destroy my Dreadscythe, nor can you take away my remaining LP!" Rafael observed. "And by next turn, I'll destroy that monster!" he insisted, as Harpy Dragon Warrior's atk increases to 8300.

"There won't _be_ a next turn for you, Rafael!" Mai shouted. "Now, I activate one of my face down cards: the trap card Skill Drain! This continuous trap prevents monsters from activating their special abilities!"

"Hold it!" Rafael countered. "That trap will only activate if you pay 1000 LP, which you don't have!"

"Oh, but I do!" Mai insisted. "Now, I activate my second face down card: Emergency Provisions! Since the fusion is complete, I won't need my Polymerization magic card anymore, so I'll send that off the field with Emergency Provisions! This allows me to gain 1000 LP, which I'll use to activate my Skill Drain Trap!" Mai's LP increase to 1100, then decrease to 100 again as her Skill Drain trap card activates.

"Now, I activate my third face down card: Spell Reproduction!" Mai continued. "By discarding two magic cards from my hand, I can bring one back from my graveyard, and I choose Monster Reborn again!"

"What are planning now?" Rafael demanded.

"I use Monster Reborn to bring back your Guardian Eatos!" Mai announced. "And now that Eatos is no longer in your graveyard, your Dreadscythe loses 500 atk pts!" Guardian Eatos appears on the field, light shining from its wings (2500 atk).

As Guardian Dreadscythe's atk decreases to 7000, Mai continued. "Now, I activate my last face down card. This too, was a gift from Joey. It is the trap: Take One Chance! It will randomly transfer a card from my graveyard right to the field, the rest is up to fate."

Come on Joey, Mai thought as she pulled the card out of her graveyard, I need your full strength on this! "I summon the Claw of Hermos!" Mai shouted in triumph. "Now, I merge Hermos with your Guardian Eatos to form this: Angel Scepter! By equipping it to my Harpy Dragon Warrior, I can now add the atk strength of the monster used to form Angel Scepter to it, so my Harpy Dragon Warrior now gains an additional 2500 atk pts!" Mai continued, as Harpy Dragon Warrior's atk increases to 10800. "And remember, with my Skill Drain trap active, no monster on either side the field is allowed to activate its special ability this time!"

"Joey, this one is from the bottom of my heart," Mai whispered, feeling Joey's strength coursing through her. "_NOW, HARPY DRAGON WARRIOR, DESTROY HIS GUARDIAN DREADSCYTHE!"_ The harpy on Harpy's Dragon warrior picks up the Angel Scepter and fires, as do the three Red Eyes Black Dragons' heads, engulfing the entire roof of the building on a flash of bright light.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Dartz's Island

"And that makes all three of them." Dartz observed, annoyed to see Rafael appear on his stone wall. "Why is good help so hard to find these days?"

"Ancient soldiers of the Orichalcos, return to me! It's time for phase two." Dartz ordered. "Such a shame, after all this, only a single Chosen Duelist has been captured."

He looked over to Joey, annoyed. Something similar happened to Joey just like it did to Yugi only hours ago. When Yami entered the "Stone Wilderness", Yugi's form suddenly disappeared from the stone wall for a brief amount of time. Likewise, shortly after Mai had succeeded in capturing Joey's soul and was set free, his form also temporarily disappeared from the stone wall. But unlike the time with Yugi, Dartz had no explanation for why Joey's form disappeared from his stone wall. After all, Joey and Mai were in the city of San Francisco when Joey lost his soul, and Mai was nowhere near the "Stone Wilderness", located in Death Valley, where Joey's spirit could cross over into the real world.

"You snake!" a voiced shouted from behind Dartz. "Give me back my company, _now!"_

"Ah, Mr. Kaiba, so glad for you to join me." Dartz said calmly, turning around to see Kaiba and Mokuba standing behind him. "You have something I want too: your soul."

"Save it, Dartz!" Kaiba shouted. "Unlike Yugi and his idiots, I'm not falling for your cheap tricks!"

"Is that a fact, Kaiba?" Dartz taunted, then snaps his fingers. An Orichalcos soldier appears immediately behind Mokuba. It touches him, and Mokuba immediately falls onto the ground, unconscious.

"Mokuba!" Kaiba cried. "What have you done to him, Dartz?"

Dartz laughed, as Mokuba's form appeared on his stone wall. "I think this is a perfect déjà vu for you, Kaiba. Back in Duelist Kingdom, Pegasus took your brother's soul, then forced you to duel the Pharaoh in order to challenge him so you can get his soul back."

"Here, I'm simply recreating that event. Your brother's soul is on that stone wall right there." Dartz continued, gesturing to the wall behind him, as a dark duel disk appears on his left arm. "Defeat me in this duel, and you'll get both back: both your brother, and your company."

"I'm going to enjoy watching you squirm!" Kaiba shouted, activating his duel disk. "Now let's duel!"

Paradias HQ

"All right Rafael! I won the duel, so release Joey from the seal, _now!"_ Mai shouted, shaking an unconscious Rafael.

"That won't help, Mai." Mai turned around to see Yami, Tristan, and Tea arrive on the roof to join her. "The Orichalcos has him now. Remember what Hermos said, the only way for this to be fixed is by confronting Dartz." Yami replied.

"Was he in the building?" Mai asked.

"Unfortunately no," Tea answered, much to Mai's dismay. "We looked through the entire building. Apparently we weren't the only ones. Kaiba was here also. He practically tore the building inside out trying to look for him, with no luck."

"Nor did we find the souls of our friends," Yami continued, "which means when we _do_ find Dartz, we'll find our friends."

"How pharaoh?" Tea asked. "Paradias HQ was our best guess. _Now_ where are we supposed to look?"

"Yugi!" a voiced shouted from overhead.

Yami, Tristan, Tea, and Mai looked up to see a Kaiba Corp helicopter flying overhead, with Roland calling to them. "Mr. Mokuba asked me to pick you up. Mr. Kaiba discovered the location of where Dartz is hiding, and is on his way there now!"

The helicopter lands on the building's landing pad, and Roland steps out, cutting the engine. "Unfortunately, I haven't heard from him or Mr. Mokuba lately, and it was Mr. Kaiba who said that he'll contact me once he arrives at the location and Dartz is defeated."

"Well what good does that do?" Tea asked, throwing up her hands. "Kaiba is the only one right now who know where Dartz _really_ is, and all three members of his group, who are probably the only other ones who've been to his hideout, have been sealed away!"

"I've been there," Mai said quietly. Yami, Tristan, and Tea immediately turn to her. "Valon took me there once, where I received the power of the Orichalcos from Dartz. I can take you there."

"And just why should we trust _you?"_ Tristan asked, still angry for what Mai did to Joey. "For all we know you're just leading us to _another _trap!"

"She's telling the truth, Tristan." Yami replied. "Remember what she told us in the Industrial Illusions building. She _did_ go to Dartz's hideout once, so it is definitely possible that she still remembers the way there."

Yami then turned to Mai. "Even if none of us trust you, we don't have a choice in this situation. You're the only one left who knows where Dartz's hideout is located."

"I still think we should wait for Kaiba's signal." Tristan insisted. "I don't trust her."

"Tristan, how can you say that after everything you've seen? From the last moments of Mai's duel with Joey to the ending of Joey's purification process with Mai, how can you still think Mai is trying to hurt us?" Tea cried.

"Tristan, look up at the sky." Yami said, pointing upwards. Mai, Tristan, and Tea looked up to see the Great Leviathan's silhouette flying above. "The longer we wait, the less likely we'll have any chance of stopping _that!"_

Tristan sighed in disgust. "Fine," he said, walking towards the helicopter. "But I'm only doing this because I have no choice in the matter."

"Tristan, please," Mai pleaded. "I'm just trying to set things right."

"You mean attempting to clean up the mess that you created!" Tristan shouted, turning to Mai. "You think just because Joey freed you means I'm just going to forgive you for what happened? Wrong! That won't bring Joey back, and neither will anything you have to say!"

"Tristan, I love him!" Mai cried. "I tried to stop the duel from ending the way it ended because of that! And I'd give anything to bring him back, even if he never wants to have anything to do with me again!"

"It should have been _you_ in there!" Tristan seethed. "_You_ played the Seal of Orichalcos, and Joey suffered for that!"

"Did you forget that _I_ played the Seal of Orichalcos as well, Tristan?" Yami reminded. "You were there to see me duel Rafael after I played the seal, you saw for yourself what it did to me. And you have always said that I was the strongest one in the group, the one that could never be controlled! So stop blaming Mai for playing that card!"

"Your situation was different, pharaoh." Tristan replied. "Remember, we found the video footage of that duel in the building. Alister was taping that duel in the helicopter flying above the stone drum rock where you dueled against Rafael as concrete evidence to Dartz that you have been captured. Or, in this case, supposed to get captured by the Seal of Orichalcos. You only played the Seal of Orichalcos because you knew it would break the Crystal Seal that your Dark Magician Girl the Dragon Knight was sealed in. Remember, Rafael said that if the sealed monster's atk strength is changed, the trap would deactivate. None of us knew back then that the legendary dragons and the Orichalcos could not be mixed. Therefore, you played the seal for _good_ intentions, and you had hoped that you could control it. If you could, then you had hoped that you could force the seal to disappear from the field."

"What are you getting at?" Yami asked.

"When Mai played the seal, all she cared about was sealing the other person away, regardless of who they were! Only at the very end of the duel with Joey did she finally wake up, in which by then it was too late for her do anything about it anyway! Therefore, she played the seal for _evil_ intentions! All she wanted was power, and she didn't care who had to be hurt or killed as long as her goal is achieved!" Tristan shouted angrily.

"When the seal shrank around me and Joey in that duel, all I wanted was for Joey to be safe!" Mai cried. "I didn't care about anything else at that moment, not even my own survival! You saw that yourself on the images displayed from Hermos, including the thoughts of both me and Joey!"

"Joey had the exact same thoughts for _you!"_ Tristan countered. "He dueled beyond his limits, and _still_ protected you at the very end! The purification process just showed that even being sealed away, he _still_ tried to help you! Name just one time when you did something like that for _him!"_

"There aren't any." Mai admitted.

"Exactly my point!" Tristan seethed angrily. "You thrive on attention from guys like Joey!" He continued, pointing to Joey, unconscious by the elevator. "But when have you ever given anything in return? When have you ever done something special for _him?"_

Mai was just about to reply when Tristan cut her off. "And don't say trying to protect Joey from the seal in that duel when the seal shrank around him, Mai! That doesn't count since you were the one who played it!"

"That's why I want to help you get to Dartz's island! I want to bring Joey back so I can tell him how much I need him in my life!" Mai cried. "I'm _not_ the person who messes with people's heads anymore! Joey changed that!"

"Tristan, you heard what Joey said after Mai was freed at the end of purification process," Tea said. "Do you really think Mai would revert to her old ways after something like _that?"_

"I don't care!" Tristan shouted, turning to Tea. "It doesn't change the fact that she was too power-hungry to recognize friendship, nor does it change the fact that by the time she finally _did_ realize it, it was too late for Joey!"

"Tristan, please!" Mai begged, tears spilling from her eyes. "Joey was _never_ a stepping stone for me! None of you are! I admit I was too caught up in myself to realize it then, but I understand that now! _That's_ why I want to bring Joey back!"

"What makes you think this is all about _you,_ Mai?" Tristan shot back furiously. "Do you have any idea what Joey's death did to _us?"_

"Of course I do," Mai said quietly. "Joey may not need me at all anymore, but I _do_ know he needs all of you, and I'm going to make sure that actually happens."

Off Tristan's angry look, Mai continued. "You think I'm still selfish, don't you? If I was only going to bring Joey back for _my own_ goals, I wouldn't be helping you get to Dartz's island!"

"Tristan, you don't seem to see what Joey's loss meant to Mai." Yami added. "Don't you remember how much pain _I_ was in when I lost Yugi?"

"True, but I forgave you for playing the Seal of Orichalcos." Tristan replied.

"Then why not forgive Mai?" Tea asked, angry at Tristan's narrowmindedness.

"Because Tea, the pharaoh tried to make things right immediately after that duel." Tristan answered, still glaring at Mai with seething hatred.

"Oh, and Mai is not?" Tea countered, pointing to Rafael, unconscious on the rooftop.

"Pharaoh, _you_ did not join DOOM from your own free will unlike Mai," Tristan replied, turning to Yami. "Besides, while _playing_ the Seal of Orichalcos was your choice, _getting_ that card from Rafael in that duel was unavoidable. Tea and I saw the video footage of that duel. When Rafael played his Exchange magic card, you only had one card left in your hand, and so did he. Therefore, you had no choice but to switch hands, instead of the normal condition of both of you choosing a card from the other player's hand and add it to your own hand. You gave Rafael your Necromancy magic card, and Rafael gave you the Seal of Orichalcos."

"Mai _chose_ to join Dartz so she could have power." Tristan continued. "Therefore, she _did_ have a choice in receiving the power of the Orichalcos or not, and I bet she jumped at the opportunity to get it right away!"

"Mai, please tell me you actually resisted, at least at first." Tea asked softly, turning to Mai.

Mai's voice trembled. "Unfortunately Tea, Tristan is right about that part. After Battle City, I wanted to become the best duelist out there. Having really powerful cards isn't cheating, unlike what I did to Joey at Duelist Kingdom. So the answer is yes. I _did_ jump at the opportunity to receive the power of the Orichalcos from Dartz. I was trembling when he gave me that power, but I barely resisted it. It was only at the very end of the duel between me and Joey before I realized no matter how much power I received, and would ever receive, it would always insignificant to what Joey and I shared."

Mai walked over to Joey's body, picking him up and turning back to Tea. "Or in this case, once shared," she said, sobbing. "It was only when I held him in my arms did I realize that power never _did_ replace my loneliness, only deepen it. It was also the moment I realized that I was never alone, I had Joey the entire time."

"We can discuss this after the ordeal is over." Yami said, walking over to Mai. "Mai, just where _is_ Dartz's island?"

"Far away from here," Mai answered sadly, "the only reason I didn't doze off from the flight with Valon was because I was too power-hungry. I wanted to see what Dartz could give me that would make me an unbeatable duelist. The island is located approximately 200 miles north of the Bahamas."

"That'll take hours before we reach there," Yami said, walking towards the helicopter. "Tristan, we need Mai to show us the way. Let her come with us."

Tristan reluctantly nodded but said nothing. He gestured to Mai with his eyes, telling her to take Joey with them.

_As if I could forget about THAT_, Mai thought, carrying Joey onto the helicopter with Tea.

"How long has it been since Kaiba last signaled you?" Yami asked Roland, nervous.

"Mr. Kaiba and Mr. Mokuba were approaching Dartz's island when his last transmission came in. That was almost an hour ago." Roland replied. "He said he'll contact me once the Kaiba Corp Company is back in his possession."

"He went after Dartz all by _himself!?"_ Tea asked, horrified. "Doesn't he realize how dangerous that is? Kaiba could barely even beat _Alister_ with his legendary dragon!"

"All the more reason to get there as soon as possible," Yami replied, and the helicopter started its engines back up again.

_Dartz is going to pay for what he made me do to you, _Mai thought, as the helicopter lifted off into the air and began heading east. _Please, hang in there Joey, I'm coming to save you, and I won't leave without you._


	20. Chapter 20

Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter everyone. Rag was waiting for a few more reviews, but decided to let me post it without. Please remember to review if you want the next chapter to go up quickly!

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Chapter 20

_Why am I here?_ Mai thought, as she walked through a graveyard. The sky above was gloomy and the trees in it were decayed and crooked. Suddenly, the silhouette of the Great Leviathan appeared in the sky, and the Seal of Orichalcos descended from the clouds, pushing away the fog that covered the graveyard.

"No….." Mai whispered, backing away in horror, as the seal descended onto a tombstone. The tombstone was marked: **R.I.P.: Maximillion Pegasus. Found Murdered in Industrial Illusions Building Office by Mai Valentine.**

Suddenly, the grave burst open, revealing a decomposed Pegasus. His eyes were missing, and earthworms were crawling out of his eye sockets. Most of the flesh on his body had been eaten away.

"Ms. Valentine, _you killed me,"_ Pegasus accused in an eerie tone. "I watched you smile as my soul was taken away…."

"I'm not like that anymore," Mai said fearfully, backing away from him. "I was under the Orichalcos spell—"

"And you said that you found that entertaining….." Pegasus cut in, his eye sockets lighting up, firing out a projection image. In the image, Mai stood laughing as the Seal of Orichalcos extracted the soul out of Pegasus and into her card.

"NO!" Mai screamed in terror, turning around to run. _"JOEY, HELP ME!!"_

"You can't run from your problems, Ms. Valentine. These are just facts, and you can't deny them….." Pegasus's voice floated from behind her.

As Mai ran fearfully, she tripped on a rock, landing in front of another tombstone. A second seal descended from the sky, landing in around it. This time it revealed the tombstone: **R.I.P.: Valon. Found Beaten to Death in San Francisco parking lot.**

Like the one with Pegasus, the grave also burst open, exposing a decomposed Valon, his decayed hands clutched in anger and hatred.

"You never cared about me from the very beginning," Valon seethed in an eerie tone. "You barely even blinked when you saw me lose my soul…."

Valon's eyes lit up, also firing out a projection image, displaying Mai's indifference to Valon as Joey defeated him in the empty parking lot.

"NO!" Mai screamed in horror. "I never wanted this to happen to you!"

"It was _you_ who said that I deserved this……" Valon continued angrily. "It was _you_ who said that I didn't deserve any better…."

"I-I-I was wrong," Mai stammered, backing away in fear. "You _didn't_ deserve to have your soul taken away, and I _did_ care when you lost your soul."

"All you ever cared about if your life was power over others…." Valon countered eerily, as he reached for Mai with his bony hand. "Now it's time for you to pay for what you put me through…."

"_NO!"_ Mai screamed, getting back up and began to run away from him.

"_JOEY, PLEASE HELP ME!!"_ Mai shrieked, as she ran deeper into the cemetery.

Suddenly, her Grave Arm magic card materializes out of thin air, turning into a decayed arm and grabbed one of Mai's legs. Mai screamed as she fell, landing in front of a third tombstone, the largest one in the graveyard. But unlike Valon and Pegasus's tombstones, this one's markings are obscured by the decayed leaves that covered almost the entire front and rear.

A third Seal of Orichalcos descended from the sky and landed around it, brushing away the leaves and revealing the carvings on the tombstone.

"_NO! YOU CAN'T BE GONE!"_ Mai screamed, as the carvings revealed: **R.I.P.: Joey Wheeler. Found Brutally Beaten and Assassinated in San Francisco parking lot by Mai Valentine.**

The tombstone burst open, revealing a decomposed Joey. His sandy blonde hair was now smeared with dirt and mud, with poisonous spiders crawling in it. His face had been almost completely eaten away. Only the skin around his eyes remained, and just like Valon, Joey's eyes were seething with hatred. His arms and legs had been completely eaten of their flesh, with earthworms and nightcrawlers still squirming around in his bones. His chest was mostly eaten away, exposing his bony ribcage. Inside the ribcage was Joey's beating black heart, partially torn open with venomous scorpions crawling out and about.

"_You_ did this to me….." Joey accused in an eerie voice. Just hearing the sound of his voice sent frightened chills deep into Mai's heart and soul.

"_NO!"_ Mai screamed in horror, as tears poured down her face. _"It isn't like that! You changed me, Joey!"_

"And to think that you actually _had_ a heart," Joey continued, ignoring Mai. "Now it is time for _you_to suffer through what_I_ suffered through!" He raised his bony arm and took a step towards her.

"_Joey, please!"_ Mai begged as she backed away in fear, more frightened than ever. _"Don't do this! I love you!"_

"Then why are you backing away, Mai?" Joey taunted. "Afraid to see me, or something else?"

Every part of Mai's mind was screaming for her to run for it. Unfortunately, her legs were completely paralyzed with fear as Joey's bony arm reached to touch her face. It sent ice chilling waves all the way down to her bones.

"Such a tender face…" Joey hissed, stroking Mai's honey blonde hair. "I'll have to change that…."

"_NO!"_ Mai shrieked, finally getting her senses back. She turned around and began to run away from Joey at full speed…………only to be stopped after three steps as Valon and Pegasus came up from behind her.

"_You did this to us_….." they accused eerily. "_You must pay with your life_….."

Joey snapped his fingers, as three Cyber Harpies immediately materialize in front of Mai, each of their heads glowing with the Seal of Orichalcos, their beautiful blue eyes turned to an angry blood red.

"My harpies!" Mai cried. But to her horror, all three of them also raised their claws in anger.

"You are directly responsible for the havoc you put us through," they said simultaneously. "Now it is time for you to pay for what you've done…."

With a wave of his hand, the Harpy Lady Phoenix Formation magic card appeared in Joey's hand. The three Cyber Harpies transformed into a blue phoenix, flying towards Mai.

"_NO!"_ Mai shrieked. _"My harpies, please don't do it!"_ She turned around to run, but Valon and Pegasus grabbed her and held her in place as the blue phoenix struck her.

Mai screamed in pain as the blue flames burned, scorched, and ripped through her. _I deserve this_, she thought sadly, tears falling from her eyes. _I caused all three of them unimaginable pain, and I got to walk away from it._

She collapsed onto the ground, unable to withstand the pain any longer. But to her surprise, Joey yanked her back up.

"Now it's time for you to see _mine_…." Joey said, as a projection image fired right into Mai's violet eyes.

Suddenly, the graveyard disappeared, and Mai found herself back in the San Francisco empty lot. As she took a step forward, the Seal of Orichalcos appeared on the ground.

"_NO!"_ Mai screamed, as she saw herself and her two Cyber Harpies facing Joey, bruised and battered within the seal. This time, however, she saw herself attack Joey without hesitation.

"_PLEASE STOOOOOOP!"_ Mai shrieked, as she saw Joey continuously scream from the pain as her harpies struck him again and again…..until finally, he began to collapse onto the ground, bloodied and broken, the light in his eyes rapidly fading, as the other Mai and the Cyber Harpies disappeared from the Seal of Orichalcos.

"_Joey, please don't leave me! I need you!"_ Mai cried as she rushed towards the seal. But suddenly, an hourglass materialized around her: the exact same one the Marik trapped her mind in.

"This is all your fault my dear!" Marik said, materializing just outside of the hourglass and laughing evilly.

"_NO! JOEY!"_ Mai shrieked in despair as Joey collapsed onto the ground, his soul removed from his body by the seal and taken away to Dartz.

"_JOEY!"_ Mai screamed again, as she struck her fists on the hourglass with all her might. To her surprise, however, the hourglass suddenly shattered, freeing her from the sand.

"_JOEY! WAIT!"_ Mai cried, running over to Joey's body and cradling him in her arms. _"Don't leave me! I love you!"_

Suddenly, Joey's body and the empty lot melted before Mai's eyes, and she was back in the graveyard, being firmly held by her three Cyber Harpies, the Seal of Orichalcos still glowing on their foreheads. The shattered forms of Pegasus, Valon, and Joey reappeared, as the Seal of Orichalcos appear on their skulls.

"Now, the time has come….." Joey hissed. With a wave of his bony hand, the Grave Arm magic card appeared in it.

Suddenly, four decayed arms burst out from the ground, grabbing Mai's arms and legs.

"_JOEY! HELP ME!"_ Mai screamed, as she got pulled onto the ground. She strained against the decayed arms with all of her strength, but to no avail.

Suddenly, Dartz's form appeared, hovering above Pegasus, Valon, and Joey.

"Don't blame _me_ for what happened, Ms. Valentine." Dartz said, laughing maniacally. "It was _you_ who did this to them. One by one, you sacrificed them for your own goals. How selfish of you! And it looks like they are returning the favor!"

"_NO!"_ Mai cried. _"I won't let this happen!"_ Dartz just laughed as dissipated into the air, as Joey's bony hand reached out to her face.

"It's time for you to join us, Mai….." Joey said eerily, his bony hand moving ever closer to Mai's face. "It is time for you to see what _we've_ seen…."

"_NO, JOEY! PLEASE! I'M BEGGING YOU! DON'T DO THIS!"_ Mai cried out shrilly, in a voice she couldn't even recognize. _"I WAS WRONG! PLEASE, I LOVE YOU!"_

"You never loved me……." Joey hissed, as his bony hand touched Mai's golden hair, sending chills colder than ice through Mai's heart.

Mai's eyes watered with tears as she made one last desperate attempt to break free from the decayed hands, but still to no avail.

"_JOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYY!!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!" _Mai screamed at the top of her lungs, but that scream was muffled out as Joey's bony hand covered her face, and then everything went black.


	21. Chapter 21

Ragnarok says it's time for a new chapter! Remember to review if you want the next chapter quickly.

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Chapter 21

"Mai! Mai, wake up!" Tea shouted, shaking a screaming and thrashing Mai by the head. "It's just a dream! It's not real!"

Mai's eyes snapped open, and realized why her screams were muffled out in her nightmare. Her face was completely buried in Joey's sandy blonde hair. But as she lifted her head up to face Tea, a sudden realization kicked in.

_Tea was only partially right. It was PARTIALLY real._ Mai looked down at Joey, still unconscious in her arms. Tears immediately spilled from her eyes.

"I tried to stop it Joey," Mai whispered between the sobs, holding her fallen hero's body close to her. "I swear I tried to stop the seal from taking you."

"Mai, what happened?" Tea asked, concerned.

Mai tilted her face up slowly to face Tea's. "Tea, do you remember what I told all of you in the Industrial Illusions building? About after beating all those opponents and the nightmares began?"

"You're talking about the ones where Marik sent your mind to the shadow realm," Tea replied, recalling that event very clearly. Yami, sitting a few feet away from her, nodded in agreement.

"The nightmares of the Orichalcos were even worse than I thought," Mai began, "I had never been more terrified in my entire life."

"Hopefully, that'll end once Dartz is defeated." Yami replied. "It's been almost five hours since we took off from Paradias HQ. According to your directions, we should be in the island's vicinity within 30 to 45 minutes. Now tell me Mai, what was in that nightmare you just had?"

Wiping the tears from her face, Mai continued, "I saw Joey, Valon, and Pegasus again. Only this time, they were skeletons, and they wanted revenge for what I did to them."

"But you didn't even seal Valon away," Tea pointed out.

"Tea, the duel between Joey and Valon was regarding Mai." Yami explained. _"That_ is why she feels so responsible for what happened to Valon."

"Joey, if it weren't for me you'd still be here. I'll never forgive myself for what I did to you, nor will I forgive myself for whatever suffering you are currently going through." Mai whispered softly. Then, falling out of her seat and onto her knees, she screamed, "It's not fair! _I_ played that card! It should have been _me_ in there at the end, not you! You were near the end of your strength, you didn't deserve that kind of an ending!"

"Mai," Yami said softly, "I felt the exact same way when I lost to Rafael. But blaming yourself isn't going to bring Joey back. The Orichalcos has his soul now, and only when we reach Dartz's island can we hope to find Joey."

"I know," Mai said sadly. "And it was only after joining Dartz did I finally understand the truth about the Millennium Puzzle around you……………….pharaoh."

Before Yami could reply, Mai cut him off. "But what _you_ did and what _I_ did were completely different matters. I too saw the footage of the duel between you and Rafael, pharaoh."

"When was that?" Yami asked.

"Shortly after you lost to Rafael, I passed by a room in Paradias HQ where Rafael was playing the last moments of the video of the duel between you and him over and over again. He was trying to figure out just how you succeeded in escaping the seal. After he left the room, I snuck inside and watched the duel myself." Mai explained.

"I didn't understand it then, by now when I look back, I understood why you played the Seal of Orichalcos. Rafael trapped your Dark Magician Girl the Dragon Knight in his Crystal Seal trap card. With no right magic or trap cards, or the right monster card, the only way you could have freed your legendary dragon was to change its atk strength. Remember, Rafael said that if your monster's atk strength changed, his trap must immediately deactivate. _That _is why you played the Seal of Orichalcos. And personally, I would have agreed with you, pharaoh. You could have defeated Rafael if you could just free Timaeus from the crystal seal, and the Seal of Orichalcos would have ensured that your dragon would get freed." Mai continued.

"But it didn't work, remember? Timaeus disappeared the instant I played the Seal of Orichalcos. The legendary dragons and the Orichalcos cannot be mixed!" Yami reminded Mai.

"You didn't know that back then, pharaoh. None of us could have predicted that something like _that_ would happen." Mai pointed out. "Even when you played the seal, all you thought about was doing what was best for everyone."

"But when _I_ played the seal, all I wanted was _power!"_ Mai cried, tears forming in her eyes again. "Tristan was right. The seal should have shrunk around _me_ in that duel! I didn't care who got hurt then, as long as I won the duel! But when I lost Joey that moment, I never felt so much pain from winning!"

"Mai, if _that_ had happened, Joey would have tried to stop the seal from taking _you."_ Tea explained, then pointed to Tristan, asleep in his seat. "As for Tristan, you have to understand that he and Joey go back _very_ long ways, with a _very_ strong bond of friendship. When you severed that bond, it's no surprise that he acted this way. But deep down, he knows you're truly sorry for your actions, and he knows how much you want Joey back."

"Tristan was right on that part too," Mai said sadly, tears falling from her eyes. "I _am_ selfish. Before meeting all of you, I took much from other guys and never gave anything in return. When I lost Joey, all I thought about was how much _I_ needed him. I didn't even think about what his loss meant to all of _you."_

"Mai, _I _felt that way too after I lost Yugi." Yami explained sadly. "At first, all I thought about was how much I needed him, I completely forgot that the others needed him too. It was they who forgave me for playing the Seal of Orichalcos and losing Yugi, before I even _thought_ about forgiving myself."

"Mai, you have to understand," Tea explained, "Yugi and the pharaoh have been a team. The two of them were united until the Orichalcos incident."

"There was only one other time something similar happened," Yami added, "and that was back in Duelist Kingdom almost seven months ago."

"Mai, I'm sure you recall the duel between you and me for the five star chips." Tea said.

"I remember." Mai recalled. "You won that duel." Off Tea's look, she admitted, "All right, I admit. I let you win because I _wanted_ Yugi to have those star chips. I was confused about why he was taking his loss against Kaiba so hard."

"Mai, that wasn't _him_ dueling Kaiba." Yami answered. "That was _myself_. At the final moments of the duel, Kaiba stood on the edge of the tower so that if I launched an attack, the force of the blow would knock him right off. Kaiba knew that Yugi would never take such a risk."

Mai growled. "I knew Kaiba was low, but I never suspected that he'd try something like _that_."

"Exactly, Mai." Tea said. "Your tricks with Joey in that duel at Duelist Kingdom weren't right either, but at least it didn't hurt him." Off Mai's immediate change in facial expression, Tea's face softened. "Mai…."

"It's all right Tea," Mai wept, still clutching Joey close to her. _"I'm_ responsible for what happened to Joey, there's no need for you to feel sorry for me. Please continue."

"Well, back then, all of us knew nothing about the pharaoh, nor did we know anything about the Millennium Puzzle. In fact, we didn't even know he _was_ a pharaoh. But unlike Yugi, the pharaoh was willing to take that risk. As a result, Yugi had to use all of his strength in order to regain control and stop the attack. He was badly shaken afterwards since he didn't know if the pharaoh within the puzzle was good or evil." Tea explained.

"But didn't the pharaoh already do many good things for you guys?" Mai asked. "Doesn't that give some indication that he was good?"

"Mai, if you had been part of the Shadow Game between me and the spirit of the Millennium Ring back at Duelist Kingdom, you would understand." Yami reasoned. "I'm sure you still remember Bakura from Battle City, right?"

"Of course." Mai replied. "He lost to you on the Battle Ship in the Battle City Finals."

"Wrong Mai," Yami replied. "That wasn't Bakura at all. If you recall, he was _also_ wearing a millennium item in that duel."

"Yes," Mai admitted. "I recalled him wearing a golden ring around his neck. Joey was telling me that the millennium ring _also_ had a spirit within it."

"That spirit was an evil sprit, Mai." Yami explained. "Like your Shadow Game with Marik, that evil spirit trapped Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Tea in the Shadow Realm. It took a Shadow Game for me to bring them back."

"So as you can see Mai," Tea added, "while you were dueling against Panik back then, the first doubts of the pharaoh were planted in Yugi's mind. While the pharaoh turned out to be good, he just wasn't sure of it back then. And when the pharaoh tried to take that risk with Kaiba, the doubts deepened."

"Even Kaiba knew that wasn't a fair duel. That was one of the main reasons he even organized Battle City, so he could walk away from a fair duel. But at Duelist Kingdom, he didn't have a choice. Pegasus took Mokuba's soul with his Millennium Eye, and said that Kaiba had to beat Yugi in order to challenge him to get Mokuba's soul back." Tea continued. "But understand, Pegasus wasn't evil either. After his defeat, we found his dairy. He needed the souls, the millennium items, and Kaiba's virtual technology at Kaiba Corp so that he could bring his wife back from the dead. _That_ was the entire reason for his attempts on taking over Kaiba Corp, as well as organizing Duelist Kingdom. All he wanted was to see his lover again."

"I didn't know," Mai said softly. "I thought Pegasus was a snake, but underneath all that cruelty was actually a good person." Her voice suddenly trembled. "Just like what Joey told _me……"_

"Mai, you have to understand, nothing is really what it seems to be." Tea said gently.

"So _that's_ what he was fighting himself over, wasn't it?" Mai asked, the pieces finally beginning to come together. "I was the first one to duel Yugi after his defeat from Kaiba. When I dueled Yugi in the Duelist Kingdom Finals, he seemed very distracted. He wasn't distracted because he lost to Kaiba, he was fighting the pharaoh."

"Exactly, Mai. And it was from your speech that got the two of them to make a conscious decision to work as a team." Tea replied.

"Mai, do you remember when you told Yugi to look his demons in the eye and face them in that duel?" Yami asked. Off Mai's nod, he continued, "It was from that speech that reunited Yugi and myself. It wasn't until the Orichalcos duel with Rafael did that bond get challenged again. It was the only other time I went against Yugi's wishes."

Tears slid down Mai's cheeks. "I should've remembered that!" she cried. "I should have taken my own advice after Battle City! Joey would still be here! I was blind to the truth: that I _wasn't_ the best duelist in the world! I denied my fears and ended up in Dartz's trap! Joey risked everything to knock me back to my senses! Now, at the moment I realized I truly needed him, I lost him to the Orichalcos!"

"Mai, the Orichalcos messed with everyone, not just you." Yami explained. "When you saw the video footage of me dueling Rafael with the Seal of Orichalcos in play, you must have realized how different I was acting."

"But you snapped out of it," Mai pointed out, recalling the video footage of Yami and Rafael's Orichalcos duel very clearly.

"So did you, Mai." Yami countered. "Otherwise you wouldn't have tried to stop the seal from taking Joey's soul."

"That's _different,_ pharaoh!" Mai cried. "In your duel with Rafael, all he did was tell you to take a good look at what you did to your monsters and you snapped out of it! Granted it was too late, but you still snapped out of it! Joey and Valon practically beat each other to death in their duel and it didn't do anything to me! Joey tried bringing up so many good things he and I once shared and it didn't even come close! I hurt him so many times in that duel, adding to his injuries and I didn't even blink! It was only at the very end, when I saw him began to collapse, almost like he was dying, did I finally begin to wake up!"

"Actually Mai," Yami corrected, "I had to duel Yugi in the 'Stone Wilderness' before I _truly_ snapped out of it. It was _very_ similar to your duel with Joey, after Hermos released him from the seal. I had to face my own demons when Yugi activated the Seal of Orichalcos. And when I defeated him, I conquered that darkness, just like you did when you defeated Joey."

"Wait a minute, pharaoh! How did Yugi's spirit return to you, and why did you have to duel him?" Mai asked, confused. "And why did Yugi active the Seal of Orichalcos for you to face your own demons? I understand that Yugi had to be upset with you when you lost to Rafael and lost him, but I don't see why he would try to seal you away for that."

"He wasn't," Yami replied. "As for how Yugi's spirit come into the real world again, let's just say the 'Stone Wilderness' is a sacred valley inhabited by spirits of all kinds, where a sprit from another world can easily cross over."

"That still doesn't explain why Yugi activated the Seal of Orichalcos on you, pharaoh." Mai pointed out.

Yami sighed. "Tell me something Mai: did it ever occur to you how Rafael got the Seal of Orichalcos back from me when you dueled him on the roof of Paradias HQ?"

"My best guess is that he took the card away from you at the end of the duel," Mai replied. "But what does that have to do with Yugi playing the seal against you?"

"As you know," Yami explained. "Whoever plays the Seal of Orichalcos will have the dark magic of the Orichalcos within him or her, regardless of the duel's outcome. When the duel between me and Rafael ended, I was spared due to Yugi's sacrifice, but the dark magic of the Orichalcos was still within me. And as Hermos pointed out, that was the reason why Timaeus wouldn't respond to me when I dueled against Weevil on the train."

"The Seal of Orichalcos Yugi used against me wasn't really real," Yami continued, "but it was necessary in order to purge the Orichalcos magic from within me and allow me to use Timaeus once again. The exact same thing happened with you and Joey in that empty lot. The Seal of Orichalcos that Joey used against you wasn't real either, but unless you could defeat him, the Orichalcos magic would remain within you."

"I was terrified when Yugi used the Seal of Orichalcos against you pharaoh," Tea said gently. "I thought he really _did_ want revenge for what happened in that duel between you and Rafael."

"I felt the same way," Yami replied, nodding. "And I'm sure you'd agree with me, Mai. After all, how did _you_ feel when Joey's spirit crossed over to this world, then used the Seal of Orichalcos against _you?"_

"When Joey came out of the seal, I didn't know what to say," Mai whispered. "I had expected him to be furious for what I did to him, and despite the fact that I begged him to forgive me, it was also the last thing I had expected to happen. Then, when Joey activated the Seal of Orichalcos, I was terrified."

"Mai," Tea said softly, "everyone is afraid of something."

"It's not like that Tea," Mai said, her voice trembling. "Now that I look back, I realize how foolish I had been. When I held Joey in my arms as the seal shrank around us, I didn't even tell him how much I needed him." Her voice then dropped down to a whisper. "I didn't even tell him………..how much I loved him."

Tea opened her mouth to speak, but Mai gently put her hand over Tea's mouth. "And when Joey activated the seal, I had never been more terrified in my entire life." Mai whispered, crying. "From the moment he activated the seal all the way until he explained that I had conquered the darkness within myself, I honestly thought that Joey had wanted to kill me."

"Despite trying to talk him out of the duel, every part of my mind concurred with Joey during that duel." Mai continued, weeping. "Flashbacks of what I put Joey through in our _previous_ duel immediately came back to me. When I looked at his face and saw his eyes, an angry red from the seal, gleaming with anger and seething with hatred, my mind was telling me that he had every right to this angry with me. And after what I put him through in his duel with me as well as his duel with Valon, every part of my mind was screaming at me and telling me that Joey had every right to play that card. My mind was telling me that I was a coward, only being able to _use_ the Seal of Orichalcos and not be able to stand having someone else using it _against_ me, and trying to escape the responsibilities that I had to take for what I did to Joey."

"But you _do_ feel responsible for what happened to Joey, Mai!" Tea pointed out.

"That's just it, Tea!" Mai cried. "Don't you see? After all the pain Joey went through, I got to walk away and he didn't! He gave his life for me and I promised that I'd bring him back! And all the way up to now, I haven't even been able to _avenge_ him!"

Suddenly, the helicopter began to shake violently, waking Tristan up from his sleep. "What's going on?" he asked, sitting up in his seat.

"Tristan, Tea, Mai, I think we are getting close to Dartz's island." Yami said, looking out the window.

"Why do you say that, pharaoh?" Tea asked. But as she looked out the window, she needed no further explanation. Green energy beams are flying from behind them and shooting ahead of them from all directions, and all seem to be converging towards one area in the sea.

_We are getting close to the island,_ Mai thought, as the helicopter headed towards where the green energy beams are converging towards. _Please Joey, hang in there. I'll save you from the Orichalcos, and I'm not leaving the island without you._


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

"There's got to be more to Dartz than what really meets the eye," Yami said, turning to Mai. "Mai, you mentioned that Dartz's island is practically a conical fortress temple." Off Mai's nod, he continued. "And remember, just after we took off from Paradias HQ, the building collapsed, only to reveal an ancient temple, which was probably what Paradias HQ _really_ looked like."

"I know," Mai said sadly. "But I don't care about Dartz's story. I just want to save Joey."

"How much longer before we catch sight of the island?" Tristan asked Roland, pushing past Tea and Mai and moving towards the cockpit.

"According to Ms. Valentine's directions, we are less than 30 miles from the island. We should be able to see it within 10 minutes." Roland replied. "I'm sure Mr. Kaiba and Mr. Mokuba are already there. If we can just get through this storm that suddenly came out of nowhere—"

"It's ok," Yami replied, coming into the cockpit with Tristan. "Keep going. If Dartz wanted to resist us he would have called out his Orichalcos soldiers to attack us already. I'm sure Dartz _wants_ us to reach him."

With Yami and Tristan no longer near them, Tea turned to Mai. "Mai," she said softly, "Just give it a little bit more time. We'll get Joey and Yugi back, and hopefully, this madness will be over with. Then you can come back with us to Domino."

But to Tea surprise, Mai just held Joey in her arms and cried. "When this is over Tea," she whimpered, "I'm hitting the road right away. I'm only staying with all you right now so I can save Joey. I don't know where exactly I'll go, but it certainly won't be near you."

"Why? You're one of us, Mai." Tea protested.

Mai sighed, as a tear slid down her cheek. "Let's face it Tea, Tristan was right. This wouldn't have happened if it weren't for me. When I was on Dartz's side, I caused more harm than ever before. Valon might not have challenged Joey into that Orichalcos duel, reducing him to such a state."

As Tea opened her mouth to protest, Mai cut her off. "Please Tea, let me finish. Even if the Orichalcos incident was still to happen to you guys, Joey would certainly still be here." More tears rolled down Mai's cheeks as she touched Joey's tender face. "I want him to have someone special, can't you see that, Tea? I want him to have a girl that would love him and stay loyal to him to the very end."

"Mai, after everything that's happened, you should realize by now that Joey _can't_ love anyone else like that." Tea explained. "He needs that person to be _you_, and you alone. I know you're afraid that you might hurt him again, but when Hermos showed the events of what happened right after Joey pushed you out of the seal and lost his soul in the process, I saw the agony and despair on your face back then. I saw you knelt down by Joey and tried to wake him up. I knew right then and there, that deep in your heart, you cared about him very dearly. And those thought first surfaced during Battle City, when you met Serenity. Don't forget Mai, at the end of Battle City, Serenity didn't want you to leave. She looked up to you, and saw you as a big sister to her."

Mai's voice was barely above a whisper. "I remember that, and just what am I supposed to tell her _now?_ That I was so desperate for power, so desperate to be the best duelist in the world that I killed her brother for it before coming to my senses? Tea, remember what I said after Hermos was done displaying the events of Joey's duel with Valon, as well as his duel with me. I said that I came to America in the hopes that my loneliness would disappear if I left Joey. You see Tea, after Battle City I was torn between two worlds. In one world, I still wanted power and glory, in a world of riches. In the other world, I didn't care about power or glory. I just wanted to be loved, to have friends."

"And when I tried to stop the seal from taking Joey's soul, I made my decision right then and there. I chose the second world." Mai continued, still crying. "When the pharaoh, Tristan, and you found me crying over Joey, unconscious on the ground, I was frightened. I was terrified that I had lost _both_ worlds, and was now _truly_ alone, with no one left to turn to. There was only one other time I felt that way, and that was the Shadow Game with Marik."

"I remember," Tea said, also recalling that duel. "It was the pharaoh who restored your confidence and got you to continue your duel."

"Exactly, Tea." Mai said. "I never felt such emotional pain until that duel because I was losing the only real friends I ever had. But don't you see the difference? _Marik_ was the one making the shadow game. It was his shadow spell that caused me to lose my memories."

"And it was Joey who helped you break that spell, remember?" Tea pointed out.

"And was also willing to die for me in the process when Marik tried to kill me with the Winged Dragon of Ra." Mai whispered. "But back then, I lost Joey due to Marik. _This_ time, I lost him all because of myself." She looked down at Joey, unconscious in her arms. "When I held Joey in my arms and the seal shrank around us, I suddenly realized something I should have realized before I even got to know Joey in Battle City. I never needed power or glory, just the right person in my life. For years I ignored that fact, but when I held Joey in my arms, it became obvious that I was just denying the inevitable. At that moment, I realized that everything I ever wanted, everything I ever needed or will _ever_ need, I was holding it right in my arms."

Tears began to roll down Mai's face again, falling onto Joey's face. "I was holding my entire life in my arms in those moments Tea," she wept, "and I couldn't hold on to it. I've been hugged by other people before in my life. But I never felt anything from them. In those few moments with Joey as the seal shrank around us and despite the fact that Joey was too badly injured to hug me back, I felt….everything."

"Like having the sunlight warm you from the inside out," Tea whispered, starting to catch on. "Or like having the golden rays of the sunlight thaw the ice around your heart. _That's_ what you felt during those moments, didn't you?"

Mai nodded sadly. "I never felt so warm in my whole life. I never thought I even _could_ feel warmth like that. And when Joey lost his soul, I swear I could feel his pain stab me right in the heart. I never thought Joey would get me to let my guard down like that." Her voice dropped down to a whisper. "I never thought I'd be imagining a future with Joey, picturing what our future lives would be like together, acting like a love struck teenager, loving him….."

"It just further reinforces the fact that you need him," Tea explained gently. "Your feelings toward Joey have become so strong that you felt his pain when that happened. But this has a positive side to it too, Mai. If you could feel Joey's pain, you should also be able to feel Joey's strength."

"I did," Mai revealed. "Recall after the purification process, Joey said that his spirit would always be with me. _That_ is how I was able to wield the Claw of Hermos. It is also the reason why so many of Joey's cards are currently in _my_ deck." Mai explained, as she pulled the Claw of Hermos and Rocket Warrior out of her deck and showed them to Tea.

"So _that's_ how you were able to defeat Rafael," Yami said, coming out of the cockpit. "He wasn't facing just your deck, he was facing Joey's deck as well."

"Exactly, pharaoh." Mai confirmed, looking at her deck. "This deck currently has our combined strengths in it. And I too understand the significance of these monsters now. After I joined up with Dartz, I began to understand more about the monsters in the game. I know that just like in the Shadow Realm, the monsters are no longer mere holograms when the Seal of Orichalcos is in play. When Joey activated the Seal of Orichalcos in that duel and I saw his Cyber Harpies with the Seal of Orichalcos on their foreheads, I realized that they were no longer the monsters I once cherished, but cold hearted monstrosities and abominations. When I saw them, I realized just how much my own monsters meant to me, just like Joey."

"When did it all begin, Mai?" Tea asked. "During Battle City or right after Battle City?"

"Neither," Mai said softly. "When Joey extended his hand in friendship to me during Duelist Kingdom, I felt stronger than before. I felt I had something that I had something I never thought of, and initially, it made me feel weird." Her voice then dropped down to a whisper. "And when Joey extended his hand in loving me after Battle City, a part of me felt I was drifting away from this world, drifting away to a dream world where Joey and I were together."

Mai looked at Joey, unconscious in her arms. "I was too selfish and egotistical back then. I didn't want to believe that dream," she wept, stroking Joey's blonde hair. "And now, at the moment I need that dream to be real, I lost Joey, the only person who truly made my dreams a reality."

Mai moved her hand over Joey's face, caressing it gently. "Joey treated me like gold every single time," she wept. "And I treated _him_ like dirt on the floor. It was only when I tried to stop the seal from taking his soul that I realized how cruel I had been to him. I'd give anything to take back all the acts of cruelty I did to Joey."

"Of all the fame and glory I've had in my life, of all the riches I had, of all the luxury I had, I'd trade it all just to see Joey smile at me again." Mai continued, crying. "He meant more to me than all of that combined, but by the time I finally realized that, it was too late, too late to tell Joey that I never wanted to hurt him."

"Speaking of Joey, take a look outside the window Mai." Yami said, pointing to one of the helicopter's windows. Mai looked out to see an island with a conical shaped fortress covering most of it. An ancient temple sat on top of the fortress. "Is that Dartz's island that you were talking about after we left Paradias HQ?"

"It is," Mai said, nodding. "I've only been there once, unlike Alister, Rafael, and Valon. It was _there_ that I got the power of the Orichalcos from Dartz, not from Paradias HQ in San Francisco. Which confuses me since Weevil and Rex got the powers of the Orichalcos from Paradias HQ instead. I saw it happen from outside the building's conference room. As soon as they grasped the green Orichalcos stones they received its power, whereas Dartz merely touched my forehead to give me that evil power."

Yami thought for a moment, then spoke up. "The power of the Orichalcos must not depend on _where_ you get it from, only _who_ you get it from. Regardless, since you said that this island is the only other place you've been to when you joined DOOM, most likely _that's_ where Dartz has our friends. Mai, when this is over, don't hit the road, at least stay for a while with us. Who knows? Maybe Joey can even convince you to stay with us _permanently."_

Mai nodded gently but said nothing.

"The temple that Ms. Valentine said is on the island is in sight, we're beginning our descent now." Roland announced, as the helicopter began to descend from the sky.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

As the helicopter reached closer to the ground, Tristan pointed, "Look, there's one of Kaiba Corp's small helicopters!"

"Yes," Roland replied. "That's the helicopter that Mr. Kaiba and Mr. Mokuba took to reach the island."

"But where are Kaiba and Mokuba?" Tea asked, confused.

"With Dartz now," Yami said sadly, pointing to the temple entrance. Tea looked towards the direction he was pointing and gasped.

Three Orichalcos soldiers walked out of the entrance, two of them dragging the unconscious bodies of Kaiba and Mokuba behind them and setting them by the small Kaiba Corp helicopter. As the large Kaiba Corp helicopter landed in front on the temple entrance, the three Orichalcos soldiers immediately teleported away and back into the temple.

"Don't tell me they lost their souls too!" Tristan exclaimed, running out of the helicopter and shaking Mokuba gently. When Mokuba didn't respond, he turned to Yami, also getting out of the helicopter. "Pharaoh, this makes no sense! Mokuba isn't even a duelist, so how could he lose his soul?"

"Tristan, don't you remember how the Orichalcos soldiers operate?" Yami reminded him. "They aren't like Alister, Rafael, or Valon. They don't need to duel you for your soul, all they have to do is grab you and they can drain your soul right out of you. It appears Mokuba suffered that fate."

"Mai, leave Joey in the helicopter." Tea said gently, as Mai wiped the tears from her eyes, as well as her tears that fell onto Joey's face off him. "He'll be safe here."

"Joey, please hang in there," Mai whispered, hugging Joey tightly. "I'll get your soul back, no matter what it takes." She then stood up, and with a heavy sigh, walked out of the helicopter to join the others.

"As you can see Mai," Yami said, standing next to Kaiba's body. "This is clear proof that Kaiba also lost his soul." Off Mai's horrified look, he pointed to the Fang of Critius, lying next to Kaiba's duel disk. "Think about it, Mai. Kaiba also wielded a legendary dragon. So why would he leave it here?"

Mai nodded sadly in understanding. "Joey was right. Even Kaiba didn't deserve to have his soul sealed away."

"Take it with us, Mai. We'll be needing that card." Yami said, walking away to join up with Tristan and Tea. Mai nodded in comprehension and picked up Kaiba's legendary dragon, slipping it into her deck.

"This is it," Mai said, running over to catch up with Tristan and Tea. "That temple is where I first met Dartz and received the power of the Orichalcos."

Yami nodded. "All right. The four of us must stick together. We'll be stronger that way."

"And I thought Pegasus's toons were creepy." Tristan said, as they entered the temple's main hall, passing through the wide and curvy columns, towards the altar with its three open-mouthed serpents.

"Tell me about it, Tristan." Tea said, looking at the three stone serpents. "I'm not a fan of the snake motif."

"Dartz isn't here." Yami said. "He must be deeper in the temple. Mai, do you know where else he might be?"

Mai shook her head. "Unfortunately not, pharaoh. When Valon took me here, this was as far as I got. It was in front of this very altar that I received the power of the Orichalcos from Dartz. Valon claimed that no one besides Dartz has ever proceeded past this point in the temple, not even he, Alister, and Rafael."

Yami nodded in understanding. "Come on then. We have to proceed deeper into the temple if we are to find our friends." Tristan, Tea, and Mai all nodded and walked deeper into the corridor with Yami.

Soon, they reached the entrance to a giant, darkened room, with only two torches near the very back wall to provide light. "What's with all the people carved in stone?" Tristan asked, looking at the wall and seeing row after row of people engraved in stone tablets along the back wall. There were also a few rows of engraved people on the wall behind the room's entrance, as well as many rows of engraved people on the room's floor.

"They're not just _any_ people Tristan!" Tea cried, suddenly recognizing some of the carvings. "Take a closer look!"

"Oh no!" Yami exclaimed. "There's Kaiba! And Weevil!"

"This must be everyone who lost their souls to the Orichalcos!" Tristan exclaimed, as the realization hit him.

"Yugi!" Yami cried, seeing his own figure on the wall one row above Kaiba's figure, and ran towards the back wall.

Mai also looked carefully at the people engraved in stone. _It's all true_, she realized. _Those figures really ARE Yugi, Kaiba, and Weevil. THAT is why Dartz never allowed anyone into this room. This is his soul sanctuary!_ But as her eyes settled on a certain row, she gasped in horror.

Several rows below Yugi's figure, side by side, were the defeated forms of Joey and Valon. "Joey! Valon!" Mai cried, also running towards the back wall. As she reached the back wall, Mai's eyes watered up immediately.

Valon was on one knee, bruised in several places, his face revealing an expression of sadness for his failure to defeat Joey. Joey was still standing, even more bruised, his face revealing a sad smile, knowing that he may have lost his soul, but he saved Mai's soul in the process.

Mai choked on the tears as she reached out her hand and touched Valon's tablet. "So _this_ is what you were trying to protect me from," she whispered. "Valon, I swear, I had no idea that a defeated opponent in an Orichalcos duel would end up this way. I didn't understand your sacrifice then, but I do now. Joey was right. You didn't deserve to have your soul taken, then imprisoned in here."

Mai then put her hand on Joey's tablet, as tears began to pour uncontrollably down her face. "Joey," she sobbed, "is this what my lust for power did to you?" She put a finger over Joey's heart, then put her other hand over her own heart. "You have a pure heart, Joey, the purest of anyone I've ever known. I swear, I _never_ wanted this to happen to you. You fought for me, protected me, even gave your own life for me. You were right, winning wasn't important, as long as you saved the people you needed to save. And because of that, you were the _real_ winner of that duel. You were also the real winner of our second duel since you extracted the last of the dark magic of the Orichalcos from within my heart and made me pure once again. I swear Joey, with all of my heart and soul, I'll get you out of there, even if it means I have to trade _my_ soul to make that happen."

Suddenly, a whirlwind swept the room, and Yami, Mai, Tristan, and Tea are all hurled back to the room's entrance. "Such a touching reunion. Too bad all of your friends turned out to be a bunch of stiffs." a voice said.

The two lit torches at the back of the room suddenly shoot out flames. The flames unite into a single flame, which then turned into a fireball. As the flames from the fireball faded, a figure is revealed.

"_Dartz!"_ Yami and Mai shouted angrily.


	24. Chapter 24

yay! now onto the duel. hang onto your seats folks, we're in for a long duel. Remember to read and review for quick updates

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Chapter 24

"Don't tell me you were expecting someone else, pharaoh." Dartz said to Yami, folding his arms and opening his eyes, revealing his right eye to be an Orichalcos green color, whereas his left eye was a golden color. "I'm the only one left, due to my employees. Those that have failed me," he explained, gesturing to his stone wall, "and those that have turned against me." he continued, gesturing to Mai.

"Spare me your worthless speech, Dartz!" Mai shouted. "You never cared if I was captured by the seal or not anyway! Now, it's time for you to answer for what you made me do to Joey!"

"We _all_ have something we want from one another," Dartz said, not impressed by Mai's angry gesture. "As for me, I want your souls for my wall. I even have the spots picked out for you."

With a flick of his wrist, two tablets on the back wall immediately clear, ready for new souls. "Pharaoh, you want to be reunited with Yugi, so I'm clearing out the tablet next to him so you can have the honor of joining him." Dartz continued. "As for you, Ms. Valentine, I'm clearing tablet next to Joseph Wheeler. You wanted to be with him, now you _can_ be."

"Save it, Dartz!" Mai shouted angrily. "Your powers don't scare me!"

"Now, for the last time, release our friends!" Yami added, clenching his fist in anger.

"That's not possible, pharaoh." Dartz replied. "They've already been put to use. As we speak, their life forces are supplying power to the most powerful creature that ever lived! My 10,000 year-old collection is just about complete. With Kaiba and Joseph already captured, all I really need now is your soul, pharaoh. After all, once the Chosen Duelists are captured, the Great leviathan can then rise."

Dartz then turned to Mai. "However, something happened to you shortly Joseph Wheeler's soul appeared on my stone wall, Ms. Valentine. I sense that your life energy is now much greater than the last time I saw you back in Paradias HQ. And because of that, I think a little extra caution wouldn't hurt, so I'll be adding your soul to the Leviathan also."

Mai was just about to retaliate when Yami cut her off. "Wait a minute, Dartz! You've been collecting souls for the last _10,000 years!?_ _Do you have any idea how many lives you've destroyed!?"_

"Each one of the millions of souls here deserved their fate, pharaoh." Dartz replied. "Allow me to give you the grand tour of my soul sanctuary. All you have to do is take a look around."

With another hand gesture, the dozens of unlit torches around the room suddenly light up on fire, lighting up the entire room except for the roof. "Some of my favorite conquests are in this very room." Dartz continued, as Yami, Tea, Tristan, and Mai gasped to see the large number of stone tablets contained within.

"There must be hundreds of thousands souls here!" Mai exclaimed.

"What did you expect, Ms. Valentine?" Dartz scoffed. "It took me 10,000 years to complete, so it's quite the history lesson."

"He's right," Tea said, looking at some of the stone tablets. "Just look at the outfits on some of these guys. They look like they lived in ancient times."

"Exactly," Dartz replied. "You see, ever since the Great leviathan was laid to rest, I have been gathering the energies to fuel its rebirth. And if you still have any further doubts, pharaoh, all you have to do is duel me and I give you my word that I'll make a believer out of you."

"For when you lose, there will be no denying my power." Dartz continued, walking towards Yami, as a dark duel disk appeared on his left arm.

"Fine, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "And once _you_ lose, you _will_ release our friends!" But as he began to walk towards Dartz, Mai put a hand on his shoulder.

"He's _mine,_ pharaoh!" Mai insisted. "I'm here to get Joey back, and Dartz is the one who's going to make that happen!"

"Just join him then, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. "It'll save me the trouble of dueling you later anyway, as well as allow me to obtain two souls for the price of one."

Clutching their fists in anger, Yami and Mai both activate their duel disks. Smiling evilly, Dartz also activates his dark duel disk.

"By the way," Dartz said, "I'll be taking the liberty of making sure that your pep squad actually stays quiet during this duel." A giant eye suddenly appears him, and waves of energy flow out of it, knocking Tristan and Tea onto the floor.

"What have you done to them, Dartz?" Yami demanded.

"Oh relax, pharaoh." Dartz replied. "I simply called on the Leviathan to knock them unconscious. Your friends are perfectly fine. Their life forces are too weak to help my Leviathan by now anyway, so there was no point in taking their souls. I always found that pep squads make things extremely annoying for the opposing duelist in the game, so now we can start things peacefully."

"_Peacefully? You call killing people peaceful, Dartz?"_ Mai screamed in anger.

"You _really_ need to work on that temper there, Ms. Valentine." Dartz said. "Now let the carnage and destruction begin!" (Dartz's LP: 4000. Mai's LP: 4000. Yami's LP: 4000)

"Know this, Dartz." Mai said. "You're not just going up against me and the pharaoh's decks here." As she pointed to her deck, she continued, "This deck now holds the combined strength of both me and Joey, and together we'll defeat you!"

Dartz rolled his eyes. "So you've got _his_ deck with you. Am I supposed to be intimidated by that, Ms. Valentine? Now, since the two of you are going to lose anyway, you can go first."

"You should be careful of what you say, Dartz. It may backfire on you." Mai said, drawing her cards. "Now watch this! I activate the magic card: Thirst for Compensation! This allows me to special summon two 4-star or lower monsters right from my hand, and I choose Sinister Serpent and Harpie Girl!" As Sinister Serpent (300 atk) and Harpie Girl (500 atk) appeared on the field, she continued, "Now, since that was my special summon, I still have my normal summon left. So, I'll sacrifice both of these monsters!"

As Sinister Serpent and Harpie Girl disappears from the field, Mai holds up another card. "Come forth, Gilford the Lightning!" As the 2800 atk pt monster appears on the field, Mai smiled. "I told you Dartz. This isn't just my deck you are facing. You're facing two decks combined together as one! Now, since I'm not allowed to attack, I'll let the pharaoh take over."

"My pleasure, Mai. You'll never withstand the combined strength of all of our decks Dartz, and I'm about to prove it!" Yami said, drawing his card. "I activate the magic card: Black Luster Ritual! This allows me to summon my Black Luster Soldier to the field, as long as I send monsters that total 8 stars or more from my hand or field. So, I'll sacrifice my Dark Magician (2500 atk) and my Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts (1500 atk). Now arise, Black Luster Soldier!" The 3000 atk pt monster appears on the field and assumes its fighting position. "This should give you plenty to worry about, Dartz. I end my turn."

Mai smiled. _The pharaoh also summoned one of his most powerful monsters on his first turn just like myself. This'll make things a lot easier for us to defeat Dartz._

"Those pathetic monsters of yours are strong only in your card tournaments." Dartz said, drawing his card. "I, however, play a completely different game all together: a game in which the winner takes all and the losing opponent pays the ultimate price!" As he raises one card into the air, lines of energy swirl around the temple.

"This card was born from the darkness itself!" Dartz continued, as all the torches in the room suddenly go out, except for the two directly behind him. "Behold, the power that has existed since the dawn of time: the very power that will strip the two of you of your souls!" Dartz shouted, as the Seal of Orichalcos appeared beneath his feet and expanded to surround their duel.

"Mai, can you feel that?" Yami asked, as the seal began to surround the three of them.

"If you're talking about the sudden major drop in temperature and the fierce tremor vibrating through the two of us, then yes pharaoh, I feel it too." Mai said, shaking nervously.

"Now that I've set the tone for this duel, allow me to continue." Dartz said, playing another card. "First I place this card face down on the field. Now watch this: arise, Orichalcos Gigas!" Orichalcos Gigas appears on the field and assumes its attack position, its 400 atk increased to 900.

"I faced this beast before in the 'Stone Wilderness', Mai." Yami explained, seeing Orichalcos Gigas again. "And it was virtually impossible to destroy!"

"After all the things I've seen, I'll take your word for it, pharaoh." Mai said. "It looks very weak, but looks can be deceiving."

"Next, I'll sacrifice 500 LP." Dartz said, holding up another card. "This allows me to special summon by Orichalcos Kyutora, and I'll summon it in the rear row, behind Orichalcos Gigas. This means you cannot attack it until you destroy my Orichalcos Gigas. And thanks to the seal, it gets an additional 500 atk pts!"

A green headed eyeball with spider legs coming out of its head appears on the field behind Orichalcos Gigas and assumes its attack position, its 500 atk increased to 1000. "All right, I guess that will do for now." Dartz said, turning the duel back to Mai. (Dartz's LP: 3500)

"Then allow me to take over!" Mai shouted, drawing her card. As she looked at the card, she smiled. _"Your_ opening move is even worse than most of my opponents in the past, Dartz. You left two weak monsters on the field and only a single face down card as a means of trying to get me to hesitate in attacking. Well you were dead wrong!"

"First I'll play this magic card, compliments of Joey!" Mai shouted. "Energy Drain allows me to choose one monster on the field and drain its atk all the way down to 0, and I choose your Orichalcos Gigas!"

As Orichalcos Gigas's atk decreases to 0, Mai continued. "Now I'll activate another magic card, and it too is compliment of Joey: Lightning Blade! This equip magic card can only be used on warrior type monsters, like Gilford the Lightning and Black Luster Soldier and increases their attack strength by 800 pts, so I'll equip it to my Gilford!" Mai announced, as Gilford's sword crackles with lightning, and its atk increases to 3600.

"Now, it's time for me to finish you off and free Joey!" Mai shouted. "Go, Gilford the Lightning! Destroy his Orichalcos Gigas and wipe out his LP!" Gilford the Lightning launches its lighting, and Orichalcos Gigas is destroyed. "You lose, Dartz!" Mai shouted in triumph.

But to Mai's shock, all of the energy created when Orichalcos Gigas exploded began to swirl around Orichalcos Kyutora. "Such a valiant effort, Ms. Valentine." Dartz laughed. "And all in vain. Now watch _this!"_ A bright beam of light suddenly shoots out, engulfing the seal, and finally shooting out through the temple's roof, making the seas around Dartz's island to churn.

Mai and Yami both recoil from the blinding light. As the light subsided, the two of them find themselves floating in space.

"Mai, are you all right?" Yami asked, wondering where they are.

"I'm fine, pharaoh. But why are we floating in space?" Mai asked. "I understand why the Seal of Orichalcos is still here, but everything else doesn't make any sense at all."

Suddenly, Dartz appeared before them. "I suggest you take us back, Dartz." Mai demanded angrily.

"We never left the room, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. "What the two of you are experiencing right now is just a vision generated by the Orichalcos. _That_ is the seal's form of communication: it shows us visions of things that once were or that they might one day become. Just take a look around. This is the darkness that has always existed."

"And just what do you think you're trying to prove with all of this Dartz?" Yami demanded.

"Quite simple, pharaoh. I'm simply showing you that human beings have their entire lives surrounded by dark energy, and it has contaminated the entire planet with it" Dartz replied, as the seal takes them past the sun and towards Earth.. "And because of that, there is only pure darkness in the hearts of human beings today. Then, if a human being crosses paths with the Orichalcos, that evil is then set free."

"Around this time 10,000 years ago, _I_ came into contact with this force, and it opened my eyes." Dartz continued, as the seal hovered above the Earth.

"You mean it took over your mind!" Yami accused. "I'm sure Mai would agree with me, with all the lives you've destroyed!" Yami tuned to Mai, who nodded in agreement.

Dartz sighed in disgust. "I should have expected such ignorance coming from you, pharaoh. You chose to shut yourself off from the truth, just like my people all those years ago. I presided over paradise on Earth back then!" The seal then took them into the Earth's atmosphere, finally stopping just above a giant island city.

"It's beautiful," Mai whispered, observing the scenery from above. "What is it?"

"Your getting a glimpse of the legendary city of Atlantis, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. _"This_ is what Atlantis looked like 10,000 years ago, when I ruled as king. And I shall be again, for once I defeat the two of you, paradise shall return to this world!"


	25. Chapter 25

Onto the next chapter, courtesy of Ragnarok. Remember to review for quick chapters.

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Chapter 25

"Behold the city of Atlantis in all of its glory, just as it was 10,000 years ago." Dartz announced, as the seal hovered above the ancient city. "It was the perfect civilization, or so I had thought it was." Their seal then passes over water gushing out from a white serpentine fountain, then white buildings arranged in concentric rings around the city with white pigeons flying about, then to a cart passing through a golden wheat field with tiny fairies flying by.

"Surrounded by ocean as far as the eye could see, we were isolated from the rest of the world." Dartz continued, "Existing side by side from the rest of Earth's creatures, our lives were very simple. We knew almost nothing of violence."

"But all of that changed one day," Dartz explained, as the seal took them towards an erupting volcano, and a beast shaped cloud swallowed the moon. "Darkness descended upon us, and a strange substance rained down from the skies, a substance that would change our lives."

"You're referring to the time when the Orichalcos came to your city," Mai realized, as she saw glowing green stones landing like meteors in the streets and waters.

"Very observant, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. "It didn't take long before my people found out that the Orichalcos stones could be used to produce energy. It could be used to make clothing and industrial products, and virtually everything else. The possibilities seemed limitless, so my people concluded that the Orichalcos was a miracle."

"To a very small degree, they were right at first. Thanks to the Orichalcos stones, my people made advancements in technology that were never before thought possible." Dartz continued, as the vision now showed air vehicles flying through the city streets. "The next thing I knew, I ruled over the most advanced civilization known to humanity. However, as time went on, my people were becoming coming corrupted. You see, with technological progress comes greed and violence. I knew what needed to be done, but Ironheart, my father and former ruler of Atlantis, had different ideas."

"Ironheart was your _father?"_ Yami asked, shocked. "But how?"

"You met him before, pharaoh?" Mai asked, also incredulous.

Yami nodded. "In the 'Stone Wilderness' in Death Valley, California. If was _he_ who helped me and Tea out of that train wreck."

"My father never had it in him to be king, pharaoh." Dartz replied. "And when I turned 21, he handed the kingdom over to me. My father chose to do nothing about the situation at hand, allowing the people of Atlantis to sink deeper into the darkness while technology continued its accelerated advancement. This meant it was up to me to stabilize the situation. The citizens of Atlantis were growing more and more selfish, and I knew if I choose to stand aside and watch, I would lose total control. But no one, not even myself, could have imagined what happened next."

The vision then shifted to an Orichalcos explosion outside the city. "The Orichalcos then began to test us," Dartz continued, as the vision showed his people being turned into monsters. "It revealed the truth about who we truly were. As a result, those who were monsters on the inside also became monsters on the outside."

"It even affected my queen, Iona." Dartz explained, as the vision showed Iona being turned into a monster and attacking Dartz, forcing Dartz to draw his sword and kill her. Afterwards, a fountain overlooking the city that began to pour pure water began to pour blood.

Mai looked on sadly. _So me and the pharaoh aren't the only ones who lost someone close. Dartz lost someone too that day_.

"The true colors of my people were revealed to me that day, although I didn't realize it at first." Dartz continued, as the vision showed his standing over his city, wondering why this was happening. Then, the fountain behind him, the one that poured blood suddenly glowed green. "I couldn't understand how a perfect society like ours would suddenly crumble, but the Orichalcos soon answered that question." The vision then showed Dartz walking into the fountain and picking up an Orichalcos stone. As he stared into it, his right eye turned from gold to Orichalcos green.

"The Orichalcos revealed that the people of Atlantis were evil, and I had been chosen to wipe them out and start all over again." Dartz explained. "But I couldn't make that happen on my own. I was merely one man, so the Orichalcos gave me a gift, something powerful enough to lead the battle against mankind. For deep beneath the Earth's surface lurked the most powerful creature that ever lived: the Great Leviathan. And it was mine, and soon, this creature will return to finished what it began!"

"And that's when I understood," Dartz continued. "The Orichalcos was never a miracle to begin with. It was a method of setting the evil side of a person free, assuming their hearts _were_ evil. And that's when it hit me. The Orichalcos came to the city of Atlantis as a test from the very beginning. It was never there to help us, simply reveal the truth about us."

"I was ready to begin my task of rebuilding civilization," Dartz went on, "but one person still stood in my way: my father." The vision then flashes to the throne room, where Ironheart insisted that the Orichalcos stones must be destroyed, and Dartz insisting that they should be thanking the Orichalcos for showing them the truth, as well as for giving him the tools to fix the world.

"It was from those stones that they were born," Dartz continued, as the vision showed him releasing the Orichalcos soldiers from the Orichalcos stones. "Of course, the Leviathan back then still couldn't rise just yet. I could have awakened it at any time, but it needed to reach its full potential first. For that matter, souls were needed to fuel the beast, and that's where the people of Atlantis came in."

Yami gasped. "You used your own people as a _power source_ for the Leviathan? Do you have idea what kind of suffering they endured, Dartz?"

"They were all evil anyway, pharaoh." Dartz replied. "Therefore, it was ok to use them to fuel the Leviathan. Besides, I didn't capture them all anyway. My father was able to lead some of them out of the city." The vision then flashes to Dartz coming out onto the balcony and looks over the city, where hundreds of thousands of Orichalcos soldiers are present. "By that time, the Leviathan had reached its full potential, so I was now free to begin my task to recreating civilization. But I never expected what would happen next."

The vision then flashes to Ironheart leading Dartz's daughter Chris along with a line of refugees through the rain to a cave on the side of a mountain. It then showed Ironheart leading Chris into a large cavern, where monsters are carved into walls. As Ironheart asked for their help, an aurora shined over the mountain, and the legendary dragons Timaeus, Critius, and Hermos rose out of it.

"My father somehow succeeded in opening up a gateway to the dominion of the beasts, and with it, he formed an army of his own. This led to the Battle of Atlantis, where my father's army fought the soldiers of the Orichalcos and the Great Leviathan." Dartz explained, as the vision shifted to show Timaeus and the Great Leviathan fire their energy blasts at each other, the light blotting out the vision.

"Mai, this was the largest war ever fought in the history of the world," Yami said, turning to Mai, in shock of all the events that took place. "I saw visions of this battle in the 'Stone Wilderness'. Tell me Dartz, what was the battle's outcome?"

"When the carnage was complete, the war ended in a stalemate and Atlantis sunk to the bottom of the sea." Dartz replied. "My father's army was scattered around the world and sealed away, where they await until the times comes when they are needed again. Drained of all of its power, the Leviathan was also sealed away, where it has remained imprisoned in the ocean depths for the last 10,000 years."

"It's taken me all 10,000 of those years to gather the energy necessary in order to bring it back." Dartz continued. "You see, the Leviathan feeds on both man and beast for power. But when it was imprisoned, it didn't have the strength necessary in order to feed on beasts. Even after feeding it human souls for 10,000 years, very little _major_ progress was made. As for beasts, _that _was the purpose of the three headed serpent altar you saw in my temple's main hall. The Leviathan was so weak that I had to offer beasts through the altar for it to feed on them. It was only after I transferred the powers of the Egyptian Gods to the Leviathan through the altar did the Great Beast finally grow strong enough to starting feeding beasts on its own. Then, shortly after Mr. Kaiba had defeated Alister, the Leviathan was strong enough to break the seal and cross over into this world."

"Hold it, Dartz! If you could call the Leviathan to this world at any time then why didn't you?" Yami demanded.

"Because it was still sealed on the other side, pharaoh." Dartz replied. That means by breaking the seal, the Leviathan would have to use up some of its energy to do it, which means that it would no longer be at its full potential once it crossed over. For that matter, I knew that more human souls were needed. I even scattered my Orichalcos soldiers across the world in the hopes that I could find an alternative way instead of taking your soul, pharaoh, since you were so difficult to capture."

"Wait a minute, Dartz!" Mai cut in. "You said that the Orichalcos soldiers had to be born from an Orichalcos stone! If that's true, then in order to scatter your Orichalcos soldiers across the world, you would've had to scatter the Orichalcos stones across the world first! Just how did you succeed in doing _that?"_

Dartz laughed. "I didn't scatter those stones across the world, Ms. Valentine, the pharaoh did." Off Yami's shocked and confused look, he continued, "If you recall, pharaoh, you attacked my Leviathan with Timaeus."

"I remember," Yami said, recalling that morning in Domino when he and Yugi just got Timaeus. "I summoned the Eye of Timaeus and shattered your Leviathan's eye."

"You did more than just interrupt its feeding frenzy, pharaoh." Dartz explained. "The small Orichalcos stones all came from one giant one, and that giant one was on the Leviathan. You see, while the Leviathan was created from the darkness of the human soul, it is also the keeper of the Orichalcos stones. You might say that my creature is the Orichalcos God."

"So, when you shattered the Leviathan's eye," Dartz continued, "you also shattered the giant Orichalcos stone and scattered its pieces across the world, pharaoh. _That_ is how I was able to scatter my Orichalcos soldiers across the world so quickly. I scattered them for only one purpose: to gather all the souls that they could carry. But as the souls came in, it had very little effect on the Great Leviathan. I was forced to conclude that my alternative plan failed. In order for the Leviathan to reach its full potential, _your_ soul was necessary, and there did not appear to be an alternative for that."

"However," Dartz explained, gesturing to Mai, "when Joseph Wheeler appeared on my stone wall, the Leviathan suddenly received a major strength increase." Off Mai's furious look, Dartz continued, "Then, after Mr. Kaiba's soul was added to my wall, the Leviathan's power increased even more. It became clear to me that the souls of the _Chosen Duelists_ would contribute greatly to strengthening the Great Leviathan."

"Then why the need for Mai's soul?" Yami demanded, looking between Dartz and Mai. "She's not a Chosen Duelist!"

"Under normal conditions, I'd agree with you." Dartz replied. "Ms. Valentine's soul would have very little effect on my Leviathan. However, as I said before, something happened to her after Joseph Wheeler appeared on my wall. Her life force suddenly increased dramatically in strength. It's almost like she's become a replacement Chosen Duelist. Because of that, I decided that her soul would also contribute greatly to the Great Leviathan."

Mai clenched her fists in anger as Dartz continued, "And because of that, the energy bring the Leviathan to its full potential is just about complete. All that's left is for me to defeat you two in this duel. Then your souls will release the Great Leviathan and my plan will finally come to pass after 10,000 years!"


	26. Chapter 26

Time for another chapter, courtesy of ragnarok. Please read and review!

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Chapter 26

"Soon, the Leviathan will rise again," Dartz continued. "And the world will be cleansed of its impurities, allowing me to rebuild paradise! There will be no more corruptive people like the two of you on the Earth, and my task will be accomplished. For in a matter of turns, I will defeat the two of you in this duel, and achieve my ultimate goal!"

"That doesn't seem very likely Dartz, considering the fact that you've already lost." Mai said. "My Gilford the Lightning just did 3600 points of damage to you, which means your LP are already at 0."

"Did it now? I suggest you take a closer look, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied, as the seal reformed in the temple. Yami and Mai both reappear in it, with their LP at 4000 and their Gilford the Lightning and Black Luster Soldier at 3600 atk and 3000 atk respectively. Dartz also reappears, with his face down card and Orichalcos Kyutora, its 500 atk raised to 1000 by the seal, his LP at 3500.

"What!? But why didn't you lose any LP?" Mai demanded.

"It's because of my Orichalcos Kyutora, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. "It has a special ability. If a monster of mine is destroyed and I'm supposed to lose LP from battle damage, my Kyutora will then absorb all the damage. Therefore, I didn't lose any LP." (Kyutora's Damage Absorption: 3600)

"And now, watch, as my Orichalcos Gigas returns to the field!" Dartz announced, as Orichalcos Gigas reappears on the field, its 400 atk increased to 900 by the seal, and then rises to 1400.

"I told you, Mai." Yami explained. "If Orichalcos Gigas is destroyed in battle, by a magic card, or a trap card, it'll immediately come back 500 atk points stronger."

"That's crazy!" Mai exclaimed. "Then how am I supposed to destroy it _permanently?"_

"You can't, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. "The power of the Orichalcos will swallow you both!"

_I'm going to need an alternative strategy, and I need it quick!_ Mai thought. "I'll play this card face down and end my turn."

"All right Dartz, my move!" Yami said, drawing his card. _As long as Kyutora is on the field, further attacks against his Orichalcos Gigas would be pointless because Dartz won't lose any LP. Plus, Orichalcos Gigas will just come back stronger. But if I can bypass his monsters and go for his LP directly, I should be able to chip away at his LP until he has nothing left,_ Yami thought.

"I play the magic card: Reflect Energy!" A small satellite is launched, then lodged into the wall behind Dartz. "Allow me to explain how Reflect Energy works, Dartz. By sacrificing a monster from the field or my hand, I can bypass your defenses and go for your LP directly! And since your Kyutora can only absorb damage when a monster of yours has been destroyed, it can't absorb this attack because I'm not attacking any monsters!"

Mai smiled. _This was the exact same tactic I used on Joey when he tried to purify me. With it, the pharaoh can chip away at Dartz's LP until he has nothing._

"I sacrifice my Berformet (1400 atk) from my hand. Now Black Luster Soldier, launch your attack!" Yami shouted, as Black Luster Soldier fires its energy beam into the satellite, which then redirected the beam to Dartz.

"Not so fast, pharaoh!" Dartz shouted as the beam approached him. "I activate my face down card: Orichalcos Energy Assimilation! This magic card can only be used when Orichalcos Kyutora is on the field and I get attacked by a monster in a way that my Kyutora _can't_ absorb the damage. Orichalcos Energy Assimilation will absorb the attack for me, then transfer the damage it absorbed to my Kyutora instead! Furthermore, after the damage has been transferred, it forces you to end your turn right away!"

Yami gritted his teeth in frustration as an emerald shield rises up from behind Dartz and absorbs the blast from his Black Luster Soldier, then sends the energy waves into Orichalcos Kyutora. (Kyutora's Damage Absorption: 6600) "Fine, Dartz! Your move!" Yami shouted.

"My pleasure, pharaoh." Dartz replied. "Now, since Orichalcos Gigas has been resummoned using its special ability, I cannot draw any cards this turn. But I have everything to defeat the two of you in my hand anyway. So, I'll enhance the power of the seal with this: the magic of Orichalcos Deuteros!" Dartz then holds up a card, looking almost exactly like the Seal of Orichalcos, but it has _two_ green rings on it instead of one.

"What's happening?" Mai cried, as waves of green power washed over the seal, along with her and Yami.

"Somehow Dartz just made the Seal of Orichalcos _stronger!"_ Yami exclaimed, as the green waves continued to wash over them.

"Pharaoh, Ms. Valentine, welcome to the _second_ level of darkness!" Dartz announced, as a second ring is formed outside the seal.

"I'm not quite sure Mai, but I think Dartz just added a second layer to the Seal of Orichalcos." Yami observed, looking at the second green ring formed by Orichalcos Deuteros.

"Now, since neither one of you have seen it, allow me to explain how Orichalcos Deuteros works." Dartz replied. "The first benefit is that I receive 500 LP every turn for every monster I have on the field. Since I currently have two, I receive 1000 LP." (Dartz's LP: 4500)

"Next," Dartz continued, "I'll attack your Gilford the Lightning. Go, Orichalcos Gigas!"

"That won't work Dartz, since your Gigas only has 1400 atk pts and my Gilford has _3600_ atk pts!" Mai countered. Gilford launches its lightning, and Orichalcos Gigas is destroyed.

"Kyutora, absorb all the damage!" Dartz ordered, as the energy waves are assimilated into Kyutora again. (Kyutora's Damage Absorption: 8800). "My LP are safe, and now my Orichalcos Gigas returns!" Orichalcos Gigas reappears on the field, its atk of 1400 now increased to 1900.

"I'll place one more card face down on the field and end my turn." Dartz said, inserting another card into the slot.

_This makes no sense,_ Yami thought, _his Orichalcos Gigas would have to be destroyed three more times before it can destroy my Black Luster Soldier, and FOUR more times before it can destroy Mai's Gilford the Lightning. Maybe Dartz's plan has something to do with his Kyutora and its ability to absorb attack damage._ Yami's eyes widened. _Which means his Kyutora must have another special ability._

"All right Dartz, my move!" Mai shouted, drawing her card. "You should have considered putting up another one of your Orichalcos Energy Assimilation magic cards, Dartz. Because now, I play _my own_ Reflect Energy magic card!"

"First," Mai continued, "I'll bring Sinister Serpent back to my hand due to its effect. Now, I'll sacrifice it from my hand so my Gilford can attack you directly." Another small satellite is launched, then lodged into the wall behind Dartz. "Go Gilford the Lightning!" Mai commanded. "Attack Dartz's LP directly!" Gilford launches its lightning, and the satellite behind Dartz redirected its energy to him.

But suddenly, a force field immediately rose up from behind Dartz, blocking out the attack, and Orichalcos Gigas is destroyed. "Hey wait a minute!" Mai protested, "How did you create that force field to block my attack?"

"That's the second effect of my Orichalcos Deuteros, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. "If my LP are targeted by a monster's attack who somehow bypassed my defenses, my Orichalcos Deuteros steps in to save me. All I have to do is sacrifice one monster on my side of the field, and the attack will be blocked. Furthermore, it will also destroy the attacking monster."

Mai gritted her teeth in frustration as Gilford the Lightning is destroyed. "Fine, Dartz! But I can still summon a monster to the field, so I'll play this: my Cyber Harpy in attack mode! Then I'll place two cards face down and end my turn." Mai's Cyber Harpy appears on the field (1800 atk), along with two face down cards, lining up to her other face down card.

"My turn, Dartz!" Yami shouted, drawing his card. "Now, since you just sacrificed your Orichalcos Gigas, I'll assume it cannot come back this time." Off Dartz's nod, he continued. "In that case, your Orichalcos Kyutora is now wide open to an attack! Go, Black Luster Soldier, destroy his Orichalcos Kyutora!"

"If you think you're going to destroy my Kyutora, you're dead wrong!" Dartz countered. "I activate my face down card: Orichalcos Guidance! This magic card allows me to redirect the attack to a different target, and I choose Ms. Valentine's Cyber Harpy!" Black Luster Soldier's energy attack immediately turned away from Orichalcos Kyutora, and towards Mai's Cyber Harpy.

"I knew you'd try something like that Dartz, so I came prepared for it!" Mai countered. "I activate my trap card: Negate Attack! This card allows my Cyber Harpy to escape damage." She then looked sadly over to Yami. "Unfortunately, pharaoh, this card also has a side effect. You can no longer launch any more attacks this turn."

"It's more than that, Ms. Valentine." Dartz said. "Orichalcos Guidance has another effect as well. If the monster I redirected the attack to is _not_ destroyed in the process, then whoever launched the original attack at me must end his turn right away, so it looks like it's my turn again, pharaoh."

"That's irrelevant, Dartz." Yami countered. "For all your talk you haven't even touched our LP yet. And through determination, teamwork and friendship, Mai and I _will_ defeat you!"

"Then allow me to teach you two a lesson of my own, pharaoh." Dartz said, drawing his card. "And I assure you it has nothing to do with teamwork and friendship. And it all starts with this magic card: Orichalcos Mirror!"

"What's that do?" Mai asked, confused.

"Just pay attention, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied, rolling his eyes. "Now, I'll sacrifice a monster from my hand. This allows my Orichalcos Mirror magic card to ritually summon this: Mirror Knight Calling!" As a beautiful giant blue crystal appears on the field (0 atk, raised to 500), Dartz continued, "This monster in turn calls Mirror Knights to protect me."

"Since the monster I sent from my hand to the graveyard was a 4-star monster, Mirror Knight Calling will now summon four Mirror Knights to protect me!" Dartz continued, as four Mirror Knights, complete with swords and shields, appeared onto the field (0 atk, raised to 500). "And thanks to the second layer of the seal, I now gain 3000 LP!" Dartz said, laughing, as his LP increase to 7500 and the Seal of Orichalcos appeared on his Mirror Knight Calling Crystal and his four Mirror Knights.

"Well _you_ just activated my trap!" Mai countered, activating one of her remaining two face down cards. "I activate Nightmare Tri-Mirror! This mirror will now cast a reflection of your four Mirror Knights. Afterwards, it'll transform them into four new monsters on my side of the field. So thanks to you, I just gained an additional four Cyber Harpies!"

"So you've got five monsters on the field now. Am I supposed to be intimidated by that, Ms. Valentine?" Dartz asked sarcastically, as four Cyber Harpies appear on Mai's side of the field (1800 atk each).

"If that didn't scare you, this _will_, Dartz!" Mai shouted. "I reveal my second face down card: Harpy Lady Phoenix Formation! With five Cyber Harpies, I can destroy up to five of your monsters and deduct their atk pts from your LP!" As the five Cyber Harpies transformed into a blue phoenix, Mai continued, "And since this is not an attack, your Kyutora can't absorb the damage this time!"

"Go, Harpy Lady Phoenix Formation!" Mai shouted. "Destroy his four Mirror Knights and his Orichalcos Kyutora!"

But as the blue phoenix hit Dartz's four Mirror Knights, it is immediately repelled, the four Mirror Knights' mirror shields are shattered, and Orichalcos Kyutora remained on the field. "What!? But how did you stop my Phoenix Formation?" Mai demanded.

Dartz laughed. "With the mirror shields, of course. That is how my mirror shields work. My Mirror Knights can sacrifice their mirror shields. This prevents them from being destroyed by magic cards, trap cards, and by monsters in battle. And since your Phoenix Formation only works if my monsters are destroyed, I don't lose LP!"

Mai clenched her fists in anger as Dartz continued, "Furthermore, since your Phoenix Formation didn't destroy my Mirror Knights, it cannot successfully reach my Orichalcos Kyutora, so my Kyutora remained unharmed. Also, as long as my Mirror Knight Calling Crystal is on the field, the mirror shields on my Mirror Knights will always regenerate as soon as they are destroyed."

"Now," Dartz explained. "I suggest you two pay close attention to the mirror shields' reflections." The Mirror Knight Calling Crystal flashed bright blue, and the four mirror shields reappear in the four Mirror Knights' left hands.

"What are you up to, Dartz?" Yami demanded.

"Each shield will reflect something or someone or your side of the field. That is what determines the value of their atk pts, so my knights receive their same number of atk pts as their targets." Dartz explained, as the four mirror shields reflect four of Mai's Cyber Harpies, and the atk pts of all four Mirror Knights increase to 1800.

The four Mirror Knights launch their attack, destroying four of Mai's harpies, their mirror shields shattering in the process. "Now, I activate the magic card: Surprise Attack From Beyond!" Dartz said, as his Mirror Knight Calling Crystal regenerated his Mirror Knights' mirror shields again. "This allows any monster that just attacked to attack again!"

The four mirror shields activate again. The first Mirror Knight reflected Black Luster Soldier, the second Mirror Knight reflected Mai's last Cyber Harpy, the third Mirror Knight reflected Yami, and the fourth Mirror Knight reflected Mai. As a result, the first Mirror Knight's atk increases to 3000, the second Mirror Knight's atk increases to 1800, and the third and fourth Mirror Knight's atk remain at 500.

The four Mirror Knights launch a second attack, the first and second ones destroy Yami and Mai's monsters, the third and fourth hitting their LP directly. "What's wrong? Afraid of your own reflections?" Dartz laughed, as Yami and Mai's LP decrease to 3500.

"One last thing," Dartz said, as his Mirror Knight Calling Crystal regenerated the mirror shields on his first and second Mirror Knights. "If the mirror shield is attacked by a monster, it will reflect that attack right back at the attacking monster. Therefore, in order to destroy a mirror shield with a monster, you must give up your own monster in the process. And since my Mirror Knight Calling Crystal will regenerate the mirror shields as soon as they are destroyed, it is impossible for you to get past my Mirror Knights. Remember, my Mirror Knight Calling Crystal is in the back row, and you can't get to it without going through my Mirror Knights, positioned in the front row, so go ahead and summon whatever you like, Ms. Valentine."

"Something's not right with those Mirror Knights, Mai." Yami said, pointing to Dartz's knights.

"No kidding, pharaoh," Mai said bitterly. "They wrecked my strategy!"

"Not what I meant, Mai." Yami explained. "If all four Mirror Knights are the same exact monster, why do they have different heights?" Off Mai's confused look, he again pointed to the Mirror Knights. "Take a close look, Mai. While the second and third Mirror Knights are the same height, the first one is much shorter than those two and the fourth one is much taller than those two."

"That thought did cross my mind, pharaoh." Mai said, observing Dartz's four Mirror Knights. "But Dartz's monsters are all unusual anyway, so I doubt it's a big deal. Now, it's my turn!"

Mai's eyes widened at the card she drew. _It's another one of Joey's monsters: Cyber Jar. Dartz said that his mirror shields prevent his Mirror Knights from being destroyed in battle, as well as by magic and trap cards. But he didn't say anything about the special abilities of monster cards, so they are probably vulnerable to it. In that case, Cyber Jar will help._

"I'll play this monster in defense mode. That ends my turn." Mai said, setting Cyber Jar face down on the field.

"Clever move, Ms. Valentine." Dartz said. "Since the monster you just played is in _face down_ defense position, my Mirror Knights can't see it, which means my mirror shields can't reflect it either. And since I can't attack your LP directly until I've cleared your field, I'll have to attack that monster of yours without knowing its defense strength, but it still won't save you."

"All right Dartz, my move!" Yami shouted, drawing his card. "First I play the magic card: Graceful Charity, which allows me to draw three cards, then discard two. Next, I'll summon Watapon in defense mode!" As the tiny pink monster appeared on the field (300 def), he continued. "And since Watapon was drawn by Graceful Charity's effect, it is considered a special summon, so I still have my normal summon left."

"Now, I sacrifice my Watapon so I can summon my Kaiser Glider to the field!" Yami announced, as Watapon disappears, and a yellowish brown dragon appears in its place (2400 atk).

"Impressive move, pharaoh." Dartz observed. "Kaiser Glider's special ability prevents it from being destroyed by a monster with the same number of atk pts, so my Mirror Knights can't crush it. And since the mirror shields can only reflect the exact same amount of atk pts right back at the opposing monster, that won't work against your Kaiser Glider either."

"My thoughts exactly, Dartz." Yami replied. "Now, I'll place one more card face down on the field and end my turn."

_The pharaoh may be safe for the moment, but we have to get those Mirror Knights off the field right away by destroying them. Hiding from them doesn't help, _Mai thought.

"How pathetic. Now, since it's the start of a new turn, I gain another 3000 LP thanks to the second layer of the seal." Dartz announced, drawing his card. (Dartz's LP: 10500)

_Dartz can't destroy the pharaoh's Kaiser Glider with those Mirror Knights,_ Mai thought, _so if he attacks, he'll have no choice but to attack me instead. Since Cyber Jar's defense strength is 900 and his Mirror Knights can't reflect it, it's too high for his Mirror Knights' atk of merely 500, which means even if Dartz DOES attack it, it won't be destroyed. But no matter, as soon as he passes his turn over to me, I'll flip Cyber Jar over and activate its flip effect, destroying every monster on the field. It may cost the pharaoh his Kaiser Glider, but it's worth it since it'll leave Dartz defenseless. And even if his Mirror Knights somehow succeed in destroying my monster, its flip effect will still activate, so no matter what, Dartz will be defenseless after this turn._

"And now, it's time for my Mirror Knights to attack—" Dartz began.

"Not so fast, Dartz!" Yami cut in. "You said that that your Mirror Knights' shields will always regenerate, but that is only true as long as your Mirror Knight Calling Crystal is on the field, so now, I'll squash it! Reveal face down card: Beckon to the Dark! This magic card allows me to choose a monster on your side of the field and destroy it immediately, and I choose your Mirror Knight Calling Crystal!"

Dark clouds form over Dartz's Mirror Knight Calling Crystal and a giant red claw comes out of the clouds. The red claw then curls up into a fist and smashes the giant blue crystal, covering Dartz's side of the field in smoke. "Now when your Mirror Knights' mirror shields are destroyed, they can't regenerate! So once the mirror shields your Mirror Knights currently have are destroyed, they will be unable to defend themselves! Furthermore, without your Mirror Knight Calling Crystal, you can no longer summon _more_ Mirror Knights!" Yami shouted.

But as the smoke cleared, the Mirror Knights' helmets suddenly shatter and fall to the ground, and Yami and Mai both gasped in horror. The four Mirror Knights' identities are revealed: it's Yugi, Joey, Valon, and Pegasus.

"Joey! Valon!" Mai screamed in horror. "But how?"

Dartz laughed. "Did you forget that I control the souls of your companions? If you attack my knights, you'll also attack your friends. And if you need any further confirmation that this is not an illusion trick, just take a look at the wall behind me."

_It's true,_ Mai thought in horror, looking at the back wall. _Their carvings are no longer there. The four of them really ARE trapped in Dartz's Mirror Knights._ Her heart suddenly skipped a beat. _My god,_ she thought, suddenly realizing, _if I had activated Cyber Jar's flip effect, it would've killed them all!_

"There's nothing more the two of you can do," Dartz continued. "You can't defeat me without attacking my knights, and you can't destroy my knights without destroying the souls of your friends. And you said that my Mirror Knights are not a big deal, Ms. Valentine, that they should be quickly squashed. Care to take that back now?"


	27. Chapter 27

Sorry for the lateness of this chapter and thank you for all the reviews! (my fault, not the author's) Now you better fasten your seatbelts becaues this is going to be a very long duel!

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Chapter 27

"Pharaoh, Ms. Valentine, what do you think of my new soldiers?" Dartz taunted. "I don't think there's any need for introductions this time."

"That's not funny, Dartz!" Mai shouted angrily. "Let them go and let's duel!"

"But we are dueling, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. "We're just doing it by my rules, that's all. And since I now control the souls of your friends, I decided it would be best for them to play along with us. Besides, the two of you should be thanking me."

"Give me one good reason, Dartz!" Yami seethed.

"Of course." Dartz replied. "You and Ms. Valentine wanted to see your friends, didn't you? So, I was generous enough to let the two of you see them one last time before they are gone forever."

"You'll never take them away from us, Dartz!" Yami yelled furiously.

"That's right, pharaoh. Let your anger take over," Dartz replied. "The stronger your rage, the more powerful the Great Leviathan will become once it absorbs your soul. And as for you, Ms. Valentine, I'm surprised that the pharaoh isn't furious at you right now. After all, only Yugi is _his_ fault why he's in this position. The rest of my Mirror Knights came right from _your_ doing. _You_ sacrificed the three of them for your own selfish goals." Dartz accused.

_This is almost exactly what Dartz said to me in that nightmare,_ Mai thought. "Only because the Orichalcos poisoned me!" she shouted angrily.

Dartz laughed. "Well, it was _you_ who wanted to be the best duelist out there, Ms. Valentine," he countered. "Valon may have led you to me, but it was _you_ who chose to follow him, which led you to _me._ Therefore, it's _still_ your fault why Joseph, Valon, and Pegasus are this way. And if I'm not mistaken, you _enjoyed_ seeing Pegasus and Valon lose their souls, although the situation with Joseph was somewhat different."

"That's _enough!"_ Mai screamed in fury. "Just finish your turn already!"

"Of course. Now, while I can't destroy your Kaiser Glider, it would be entertaining to see you being attacked by your other half. So, Mirror Knight Yugi, launch your attack!" Dartz ordered, as Yugi's mirror shield reflected Kaiser Glider, and his atk increases to 2400.

"No Yugi! Fight it! I _know_ you can hear me!" Yami cried, as Yugi raised his sword.

To Dartz's surprise, however, Yugi's entire body began to shake, and he struggled to lower his sword. "He's still loyal to you, pharaoh? You turned your back on him. I'm surprised he didn't use this opportunity to seek revenge. It's clear I still don't have total control over him yet." Dartz observed. "Still, I doubt he can keep this up very long."

"Let's try this again." Dartz continued. "Mirror Knight Joseph, Mirror Knight Valon, attack Ms. Valentine!" he ordered, as Valon raised his sword in anger.

"No! Joey, Valon, please stop! You don't understand what you're doing!" Mai shrieked. _They might not be able to destroy the Cyber Jar I laid face down on the field,_ she thought, _but I can't take that chance._

To Mai's relief and Dartz's disgust, Valon's body also trembled as he lowered his sword. Joey, on the other hand, didn't even budge the slightest bit. It almost looked like he was frozen solid. "After what you put the two of _them_ through, I'm surprised that they didn't attack." Dartz observed, "They should have attacked you without me even telling them to, so it's clear you still have that effect on men."

"Let's just move on with the duel." Dartz continued, holding up a card. "I lay this card face down on the field. Let's see what _you've_ got, Ms. Valentine!"

Yami was already in pain as he looked on at Dartz's Mirror Knights. He remembered Joey and Tristan saving Yugi, and essentially, himself, from that fire when Yugi first dueled Marik, who used Bandit Keith as a puppet, and it was Bandit Keith who started that fire.

He remembered Pegasus's hologram telling him that Dartz's plan must not succeed, and that he was the world's only hope.

Finally, he remembered Yugi pushing him out of the Seal of Orichalcos, and it was by Yugi's sacrifice that brought him here.

Mai was in even worse shape. _It's my fault,_ she thought sadly, looking at Yugi, Joey, Valon, and Pegasus, all glaring angrily at her. She remembered taking Pegasus's soul in his office, and herself smiling evilly when she saw Pegasus lose his soul.

She remembered meeting Yugi for the first time on the ship to Duelist Kingdom, and how much she enjoyed having friends for the first time in her life during that night she spent with Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Tea at the campfire, although she was too stubborn to admit it back then.

She remembered meeting Valon for the first time and how he tried to help her and better understand herself. Despite being corrupted by the Orichalcos, Valon still cared about her very dearly.

Above all, she remembered Joey pushing her out of the Seal of Orichalcos and giving his life to spare her soul, then challenging her into that duel which extracted the last of the Orichalcos' dark magic from within her heart.

And finally, she remembered Joey lending her some of his strength and giving her many of his cards, allowing her to wield the Claw of Hermos and bringing her to where she is now.

_Joey, Yugi and Valon have all done so much for me,_ Mai thought sadly, _I can't turn my back on them again, especially not you, Joey. Not after everything we've shared._

_However, I have to protect myself from further attacks,_ she thought. _Joey and Valon may have been able to resist it, but Dartz is right. I don't know if they can keep this up forever._ As she drew her card, she sighed in relief. _It's another one of Joey's cards,_ she thought, looking at the card. _Joey, you have no idea how many times your deck has saved me, and I promise, I'll find a way to get you out of there without endangering your life._

"All right Dartz, I sacrifice my face down card!" Mai announced, as Cyber Jar disappears from the field. "This allows me to summon Different Dimension Dragon to the field in defense mode!" As the 1500 def point emerald dragon appeared on the field, she continued, "And thanks to its special ability, my dragon cannot be destroyed by any monster with 1900 atk pts or less, which means your Mirror Knights can't destroy it in battle, nor can they destroy it with their mirror reflecting capability!"

"Well? What are you waiting for, Ms. Valentine?" Dartz taunted. "I'm surprised you summoned your monster in _defense_ position, but I know you wouldn't just end your turn right here. You're the type of person who _always_ attacks. And don't forget, you already _did_ try to kill the four of them. Remember your Harpy Lady Phoenix Formation?"

_I will not endanger you again Joey,_ Mai thought, _I'm so sorry for attacking you with my Harpy Lady Phoenix Formation. You were the last person I wanted to be hurt by that. You've been through enough pain already, and I'll never do anything more to hurt you ever again._ "I'll place this card face down on the field and end my turn." Mai said, sliding a card into her slot.

_What are we supposed to do now?_ Yami thought, drawing his card. _If Dartz wins this duel, he'll capture us, and the whole planet will perish. But if we fight back, our friends could be lost forever._ He sighed, as he looked on at Dartz's Mirror Knights. _Unfortunately, we have no choice in the matter, and for starters, I have to eliminate the mirror shield threat on Dartz's knights._

"Kaiser Glider, attack knight #3!" Yami shouted, as Kaiser Glider began to gather energy in its mouth, preparing for an attack.

"Pharaoh, stop!" Mai screamed. "You'll kill Valon!"

"Relax, Mai." Yami assured her. "This will only destroy his mirror shield, not him. We have to eliminate those mirror shields right away, Mai. Otherwise, Dartz will use that as his advantage against us. Without their mirror shields, Dartz's Mirror Knights will no longer be able to duplicate our monsters' atk strengths."

Mai looked down sadly. "Very well, pharaoh. But even so, we'll soon run out of mirror shields to attack, what then?"

Yami looked at Mai sadly. "Unfortunately, I don't know what to do by then, Mai. For now, all we can do is make Dartz's knights less threatening by eliminating their mirror shields. Now Kaiser Glider, continue your attack on his Mirror Knight!" Kaiser Glider (2400 atk) launches its yellow orange fireball, and Valon (500 atk) holds up his mirror shield, sending the energy blast right back to Kaiser Glider. But due to Kaiser Glider's special ability, this is rendered useless.

"Not bad, pharaoh." Dartz replied. "But my LP remain safe, since my Kyutora is still on the field." The energy waves are sucked into Orichalcos Kyutora, absorbing the damage. (Kyutora's Damage Absorption: 10700)

"I'm aware, Dartz." Yami said. "I'll place one more card face down on the field, then I'll summon my Big Shield Guardna in defense mode! That ends my turn." Yami's shield warrior appears on the field (100 atk, 2600 def) and assumes its battle position.

_I hope you know what you're doing pharaoh,_ Mai thought as she looked on at Dartz's Mirror Knights. _Without the mirror shield, the Mirror Knights become normal monsters with a mere 500 atk points. This means practically every monster in my deck will be able to destroy them. If Dartz attacks one of us with a Mirror Knight that DOESN'T have a mirror shield, our monsters will destroy them easily, and our friends could be gone forever. There MUST be a way to prevent Dartz from using his Mirror Knights that way!_

"Well if _you_ can't decide what to do, _I'll_ choose for you, pharaoh." Dartz said, drawing his card. "First, I'll take a few LP compliments of my Orichalcos Deuteros. With five monsters on the field, I gain another 2500 LP." (Dartz's LP: 13000)

"As for your friends, I'll play this magic card: Twin Bow Centaur!" Dartz announced, activating his face down card. A double ended stone centaur appears on the field. "To activate this magic card, it must be done as soon as my turn begins, which is why I couldn't do it last turn. Next, I'll choose two monsters, one on my side of the field and one on your side of field. After that, my centaur will randomly pick one to permanently remove from the game and deduct that monster's atk pts from the player's LP."

"Now, I _will_ have to skip my battle phase since I just activated this magic card, but that won't matter." Dartz continued, "After all, one of us is going to lose LP this turn anyway. So, I'll choose your Kaiser Glider and Mirror Knight Valon! And you destroyed his mirror shield, pharaoh. So if my centaur chooses him, he can no longer defend himself this time!"

The two centaurs raise their bow and arrows, ready to fire. "It makes little difference to me, pharaoh. Even if my centaur chooses _my_ monster, I'll only lose 500 LP. You, on the other hand, will lose _2400_ LP! Now, let's find out who my centaur chose!" Dartz went on, then snaps his fingers.

_If that arrow removes Valon from the game, he could be gone forever!_ Mai thought in horror. _I'll never forgive myself if that happens! Valon wouldn't be in this position if it weren't for me! But if it chooses Kaiser Glider, the pharaoh will be down to only 1100 LP!_

The arrow pointing at Yami bursts into flame. "Looks like _you_ are the unfortunate one this time, pharaoh!" Dartz laughed, as his centaur launches its arrow at Kaiser Glider.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

"It's time to say goodbye to most of your LP!" Dartz said, as the fire tipped arrow approached Yami's Kaiser Glider. "This will make things a lot easier for me to defeat you!"

"I was expecting that, Dartz! I knew since you couldn't destroy my Kaiser Glider with your Mirror Knights, you would use a magic or trap card instead!" Yami shouted. "Now, I activate my face down card: Shift! This trap is used when one of my monsters is targeted by a magic or trap card, or attacked by another monster. It allows me to change the target to another monster on my side of the field, and I choose my Big Shield Guardna!" The arrow immediately turned toward Big Shield Guardna, destroying it in the process and hitting Yami right in the chest.

"Pharaoh!" Mai cried. "Are you all right?" Clutching his chest in pain, Yami smiled up at her.

"I may have lost my Big Shield Guardna in the process, but thanks to its atk of only 100, I only lose 100 LP in that attack!" Yami replied. (Yami's LP: 3400) "And now, since you are not allowed to attack due to your own magic card, you have no choice but to end your turn right now, Dartz!"

Mai smiled in relief, but sadly. _The pharaoh may be safe for the moment, but I don't know how long that will last if Dartz keeps this up. And he's also right about attacking the Mirror Knights. Dartz's cards are enough trouble as it is._

"That's irrelevant, pharaoh!" Dartz countered. "You still lost a monster in that attack, so I'll end my turn. And thanks to your loyalty to your friends, _I'll_ be able to conquer the two of _you!"_

"That's _enough,_ Dartz!" Mai shouted. "Now, I activate my Harpy's Feather Duster magic card, allowing me to destroy all active magic and trap cards on your side of the field!"

"So what?" Dartz mocked. "It's not like it can destroy the Seal of Orichalcos or my Orichalcos Deuteros anyway!"

"Perhaps not, but it _will_ destroy your Twin-Bow Centaur magic card!" Mai countered. As Dartz's centaur is destroyed, she continued, "I won't let you use the four of them for your own selfish goals, and with the loss of your Twin Bow Centaur, you can no longer threaten our friends!"

"And just what kind of a threat do _you_ pose, Ms. Valentine?" Dartz taunted. "Though I must say, _this_ is definitely a first I've seen from you: too scared to attack a monster in a duel."

"We'll see about that!" Mai countered. But as she struggled to make a decision, Valon suddenly spoke.

"Mai…Mai…"

"Valon!" Mai cried, shocked that he actually spoke.

"Mai….if you are truly the woman I believe you are….you _will_ do this!" Valon continued, struggling to speak. "Now….call your attack….and do what's best!"

Mai looked at Valon, tears forming in her eyes, and her hands starting to shake. _No,_ she thought desperately, _I can't kill Valon. There's no way Dartz could have planned it to the point where me and the pharaoh will have absolutely no choice but to attack his knights. There must be another way._

Mai looked on at Dartz's knights. _However, if the mirror shields are not removed, Dartz will simply use it against us, and if he can get his Mirror Knight Calling Crystal back onto the field, we'd be in major trouble. _

Her eyes then turned to Yugi. _Please forgive me, Yugi,_ she whispered mentally. "I switch my Different Dimension Dragon to attack mode!" As the 1200 atk pt monster switched battle positions, Mai continued, "Now Different Dimension Dragon, attack knight #1!" Different Dimension Dragon fires its rainbow colored energy blast, hitting Yugi's mirror shield. The blast is reflected back at Different Dimension Dragon, but due to its special ability, Different Dimension Dragon remained on the field, and Yugi's mirror shield is destroyed.

"I'll place another two cards face down on the field and end my turn." Mai said, as two more face down cards materialized by her other face down card. She then turned her head over to Yami. _Please understand, pharaoh,_ she whispered mentally, _I HAD to choose that knight. I know you would be unable to bear it if YOU had to attack Yugi._

"Kyutora, absorb the damage!" Dartz ordered, as the energy waves flow into Orichalcos Kyutora's eye. (Kyutora's Damage Absorption: 11400)

Yami nodded in understanding. "I understood why you did that Mai. You didn't want to see _me_ attack Yugi." As Mai nodded in agreement, he continued, "All right Dartz, my move! First, I'll place one card face down. Kaiser Glider, attack knight #4!" Kaiser Glider launches its fireball at Pegasus's mirror shield, cracking it in the process. The mirror shield reflects the blast back to Kaiser Glider, but it escaped harm due to its special ability just like when Yami attacked Valon with it.

"It looks like you're running out of mirror shields, Dartz." Yami said, as Pegasus's mirror shield is destroyed. "Soon, those knights will be of no more use to you!"

"That might be pharaoh," Dartz replied. "But in order to get to my LP, you _still_ have to attack those knights sooner or later. What do you think you'll do then?"

"In the meantime, my Kyutora will absorb the damage from _this_ attack as well!" Dartz continued, as Kyutora sucked in the energy waves again. (Kyutora's Damage Absorption: 13300) "And it's clear that nothing either of you two can do is capable of stopping me!"

"So do your worst, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "Your move!"

"My pleasure, pharaoh." Dartz replied. "I summon Orichalcos Malevolence!" A huge beast of fire appears on the field (1500 atk, raised to 2000). "And thanks to the second layer of the seal, I gain another 3000 LP!" (Dartz's LP: 16000)

"Now, Ms. Valentine," Dartz said, looking at Mai's Different Dimension Dragon, "you said that your dragon cannot be destroyed by a monster of 1900 atk or less. But due to the Seal of Orichalcos, my Orichalcos Malevolence's atk has been increased to 2000, enough to destroy your Different Dimension Dragon! And with all four of my Mirror Knights still standing, I'll be taking a huge chunk out of your LP!"

"Orichalcos Malevolence, destroy her Different Dimension Dragon!" Dartz ordered. Orichalcos Malevolence pounds on the ground, sending a wave of fire at Mai's monster.

Different Dimension Dragon is destroyed. (Mai's LP: 2700). "Mirror Knights, attack Ms. Valentine directly!" Dartz commanded. Pegasus, Valon, and Yugi, each with 500 atk since they've all lost their mirror shields, immediately spring forward, hitting Mai across the chest.

But to Dartz's surprise, Joey didn't budge from his position. "That is an _order,_ Mirror Knight Joseph! I command you to attack Ms. Valentine!" Dartz repeated, annoyed. To Yami's surprise and Mai's relief, Joey still refused to budge.

"Looks like Valon had the weaker willpower after all." Dartz observed. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised after what you and Joseph have been through that he isn't seeking revenge, though I bet every part of him _does._ In that case, I'll play this card face down and end my turn."

Mai's eyes watered up again, as her LP decrease to 1200. _That's twice Joey has defied Dartz,_ she thought, _but I just don't know if he can keep this up forever. Valon is already unable to fight it anymore._ She sighed, looking at her hand. _I can't keep attacking these knights, _she thought, _but I CAN stop them from attacking me without sending them off the field._

Clutching her chest in pain, Mai stood back up. "First I'll activate one of my face down cards. Go, Time Machine! This trap brings back a monster that was just destroyed, so return to me, Different Dimension Dragon!"

"I destroyed that monster once and I'll do it again," Dartz replied. "You just wasted your card."

"We'll see about that, Dartz!" Mai countered. "Next, I'll activate another trap card. Go, Crystal Seal!" A number generator with the numbers constantly changing between the numbers one through six appears on the field. "Since you have six monsters on the field, this generator will now determine how many monsters my trap card will now seal!"

The number generator begins to slow down, then finally stops on the number four. "Since it ended on a four, that means I can seal up to four of your monsters, and I choose your four Mirror Knights! And with three of them already without mirror shields, they can't stop my trap card from affecting them! And you also said that the mirror shields only prevent your Mirror Knights from being _destroyed,_ not affected. Therefore, they can't stop my trap card from affecting them even if they _did_ have their mirror shields!" Mai shouted, as a giant crystal cube immediately forms around Yugi, Joey, Valon and Pegasus.

"You have to change your knights' atk strength in order to free them from the Crystal Seal, Dartz." Mai continued, "And since three of them have already lost their shields already, that is not possible. Furthermore, Crystal Seal also prevents the monsters seal within from using their special abilities, so your knights are now useless to you!"

"I'm surprised that the pharaoh isn't furious at you, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. "Sealing them once wasn't enough for you, you had to do it _twice?_ And Joseph didn't even attack you, I'm surprised you chose to seal _him_ in that block of ice."

"Mai," Yami said gently. "I know it must be painful for you to see Joey like this. It's no easier for myself. But you did the right thing. Our friends are still safe, and Dartz can no longer use them now. Remember, monsters trapped in the Crystal Seal cannot attack, defend, or use their special abilities, which means we can attack Dartz without attacking our friends now."

Mai smiled sadly. "I only chose to delay activating that trap because I didn't want to, pharaoh. But I had no choice."

"Get on with it, Ms. Valentine," Dartz said, folding him arms. "Everyone is waiting for you to finish your move!"

"So be it! I play this: Pump Up!" Mai shouted. "This magic card allows me to double the atk strength of one of my monsters for one turn, so my Different Dimension Dragon's atk is now 2400, higher than your Orichalcos Malevolence!"

"Different Dimension Dragon, destroy his Orichalcos Malevolence!" Mai ordered. Different Dimension Dragon fires out its rainbow colored beam, and Orichalcos Malevolence is destroyed. "I play two more cards face down on the field. That'll do for now, Dartz." Mai said, as Different Dimension Dragon's atk returns to 1200, and Kyutora absorbs the damage again. (Kyutora's Damage Absorption: 13700)

As Yami drew his card, Dartz cut him off. "You just activated Orichalcos Malevolence's special ability, Ms. Valentine! You see, if Orichalcos Malevolence is destroyed in battle on my opponent's turn, two more are immediately summoned in its place, with an attack 500 pts higher than the one just destroyed!" Dartz explained, as another two Orichalcos Malevolences appear on the field with 1500 atk, raised to 2000 by the seal, then raised to 2500 due to the first Orichalcos Malevolence's effect.

"This is another side effect to this. The new Orichalcos Malevolences are allowed to attack right away!" Dartz said, looking at Mai's Different Dimension Dragon. "And this time, Ms. Valentine, there's no way out! I don't even need to attack with both of them. With its atk back at 1200, all I have to do is destroy your dragon, and your soul is mine!"

"Orichalcos Malevolences, destroy Different Dimension Dragon and bring Ms. Valentine's soul to me!" Dartz ordered. The fire beasts roar in anger, then smash the ground sending two waves of fire towards Mai's monster.

"Mai!" Yami cried. _If those blasts go through, she's done for!_

"Not so fast, Dartz!" Mai shouted. "I activate my trap card: Attack Guidance Armor! This trap is used only when one of my monsters is attacked. It allows me to change the attack to a different monster!"

Mai looked over to Yami. _Please forgive me, pharaoh._ Yami nodded in understanding. "I choose to change the attack target to Kaiser Glider instead!" she shouted, as the fire blasts immediately move away from Different Dimension Dragon.

"My two monsters are stronger than Kaiser Glider anyway, so it'll take a big chunk out of the pharaoh's LP!" Dartz countered. The first fire blast hits Kaiser Glider, destroying it in the process. (Yami's LP: 3300) The second hits Yami directly.

"Pharaoh, are you all right?" Mai cried, as Yami collapsed to his knees.

"I'll be fine. You saved yourself, that's what's important." Yami said weakly, standing back up. (Yami's LP: 800)

"But it cost you most of your LP," Mai pointed out. "We can't last much longer at this rate."

"We'll find a way Mai," Yami assured her. "In the meantime, you just activated Kaiser Glider's special ability, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "If Kaiser Glider is destroyed and sent to the graveyard, I can return one monster from the field right back to your hand, and I choose your Orichalcos Malevolence!"

But to Yami's surprise, Orichalcos Malevolence remained on the field. "Ever considered that my Orichalcos Malevolence has another special ability?" Dartz laughed. "By discarding one card from my hand, I can prevent it from being sent back into my hand or deck from magic and trap cards, as well as the special effects of monster cards."

"Well I can still rid the field of your monsters!" Yami shouted. "Now, I summon my Blade Knight in attack mode! And since this is the only monster on my side of the field, Blade Knight's special ability activates, allowing me to negate the effects of a monster destroyed by my Blade Knight in battle!"

Dartz rolled his eyes. "That's irrelevant pharaoh, considering the fact that your Blade Knight only has 1600 atk pts!"

"Well I can do _this!" _Yami shouted. "First, I'll place two cards face down, then I'll activate the magic card, The Warrior Returning Alive! This allows me to bring a warrior monster back into my hand, and I choose by Big Shield Guardna!" As Big Shield Guardna returned to Yami's hand, he continued, "Finally, I activate the magic card: Excalibur!"

"I've never seen that one before, what's it do?" Mai asked, incredulous.

"This is the same magic card that I used to defeat the Orichalcos soldier in the 'Stone Wilderness'. It can only be used on warrior monsters like my Blade Knight, and it allows me to double its attack." Yami explained, as Blade Knight's atk increases to 3200.

"Blade Knight, destroy his Orichalcos Malevolence!" Yami ordered. Blade Knight launches its attack, cutting one of Dartz's Orichalcos Malevolences in half. "Now, I'll activate the second effect of my Excalibur magic card. If the monster equipped with this card successfully destroys a monster, I'm allowed to special summon another warrior monster from my hand, so return to the field, Big Shield Guardna!"

"Not bad, pharaoh," Dartz replied. "But my LP are still safe, thanks to my Kyutora." As Big Shield Guardna appeared on the field (2600 def), Kyutora assimilated the energy waves into its eye. (Kyutora's Damage Absorption: 14400)

"Now, as soon as I play this card, your fates will be sealed, for the Seal of Orichalcos is about to become even stronger!" Dartz announced, holding up a card.

"What are you up to?" Mai demanded.

"It can't be good," Yami said, bracing himself for Dartz's attack.

"This time has come for the two of you to experience the _third_ level of darkness!" Dartz announced, raising his card into the air. "Go, Orichalcos Tritos!"


	29. Chapter 29

Once again, our brilliant author ragnarok has decided to let another chapter be posted! He thanks you for all of your reviews and asks you to keep it up so the story will be posted faster. And I've talked to long here, here's the next chapter of Shining Friendship's Guiding Light by my friend Ragnarok.

* * *

Chapter 29

"The time has come to reinforce the Seal of Orichalcos with the most powerful layer of them all," Dartz said, holding up a card. "Behold the ancient magic of my Orichalcos Tritos!"

"Pharaoh, Ms. Valentine, welcome to level three!" Dartz announced, as a third ring began to form around them.

"How can the Seal of Orichalcos possibility get any stronger?" Yami asked, as a third layer formed around the Seal of Orichalcos.

"We're dealing with a force that's greater than the darkest shadows, and older than time itself." Dartz replied, as his LP increase to 19000 from the effect of Orichalcos Deuteros. "And with _this_ layer, the two of you won't even be able to _delay_ your downfall!" he continued, looking at Mai's Different Dimension Dragon.

"Now, I play the magic card: Orichalcos Reflectance!" Dartz announced, activating his face down card. "This card allows me to choose a monster on your side of the field and destroy it, and I choose Blade Knight!"

Yami's Blade Knight, still at 3200 atk from the Excalibur magic card's effect, is destroyed. "After the monster is destroyed, I can now add half of its atk strength to one of my monsters, and I choose my remaining Orichalcos Malevolence!" Dartz continued, as Orichalcos Malevolence's atk increases to 4100, gaining the 1600 atk pts from Blade Knight.

"That won't help you, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "I activate one of my three face down cards: Natural Selection! This trap allows me to make a duplicate of one of your monsters and destroy the original one!"

But suddenly, the Orichalcos Tritos shined bright green, and Yami's trap card is destroyed. "It is beginning to sink in yet? When used properly, the Seal of Orichalcos is unmatched by any other card in the game. And thanks to its third layer, your magic and trap cards can no longer destroy or negatively affect my monsters!" Dartz said, and the crystal seal imprisoning Yugi, Joey, Valon, and Pegasus is shattered.

_Dartz is right. Each layer is more powerful than the next. If we don't think of something quick, we'll lose the duel!_ Yami thought.

"Orichalcos Malevolence, destroy Ms. Valentine's Different Dimension Dragon!" Dartz ordered. Orichalcos Malevolence smashes the ground again, sending the blast at Mai's monster.

"I activate one my face down cards!" Mai countered. "It's another one compliments of Joey: Graceful Dice! A dice will now be rolled. Whatever the dice lands on, all monsters on our side of the field will receive that number of atk and def points multiplied by 100!"

"That won't help you," Dartz replied, as the dice landed on a six, bringing Different Dimension Dragon's stats to 1800/2100 and Big Shield Guardna's stats to 700/3200. "Since the dice landed on a six, your Different Dimension Dragon and the pharaoh's Big Shield Guardna only gained 600 attack and defense points. You only have 1200 LP remaining, and as soon as this blast hits your dragon, you'll lose 2300 LP!"

Mai looked at Yami. _Please pharaoh,_ she thought desperately,_ tell me one of your face down cards can help me. I have to save Joey, and I've come too far just to be beaten!_

"I think not, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "I activate my second trap card: Ambush! This allows me to sacrifice a monster on my side of the field, then add its def pts to another monster's atk pts!" Big Shield Guardna disappears from the field, and Different Dimension Dragon's atk increases to 5000.

"Different Dimension Dragon, counterattack and destroy Orichalcos Malevolence!" Mai shouted. Different Dimension Dragon fires its rainbow beam, and Orichalcos Malevolence is destroyed. "And since it was destroyed on _your_ turn Dartz, you can't activate its special ability and have two more take its place this time!"

"Orichalcos Kyutora, absorb the damage!" Dartz ordered. Kyutora's eye flashes again, sucking all the energy waves into it. (Kyutora's Damage Absorption: 15300)

"It's ok, pharaoh." Mai said gently. "Dartz may not have lost any LP, but at least both of us are still standing."

"Well the pharaoh is about to lose, Ms. Valentine!" Dartz said, laughing evilly, turning to Yami. "When you sacrificed your Big Shield Guardna, you left no monsters on your side of the field to protect yourself, pharaoh! Which means your LP are now wide open for my Mirror Knights to attack with! And since you only have 800 LP remaining, you'll lose your soul as soon as I call my attack!"

"Mirror Knights, attack the pharaoh and bring his soul to me!" Dartz ordered. Yugi, Joey, Valon, and Pegasus all leap forward, hitting Yami with their swords. "You see, pharaoh, now that all three layers of the seal are on the field, it is no longer possible for my knights to defy me!"

But as Pegasus hit Yami, he suddenly stopped. "Yugi, please tell me you have the card I gave you, for that card unlocks the secret of the legendary dragons…"

"What are you waiting for? Attack the pharaoh!" Dartz shouted. Pegasus continues his attack, then leaps back with Yugi, Joey, and Valon.

"You lose, pharaoh!" Dartz said. But to his surprise, Yami's LP increase to 4800, then decrease to 2800.

"I was hoping you'd do that, Dartz!" Yami said, activating his last face down card. "And I was also hoping that all four of your Mirror Knights would attack! It allowed me to activate my trap card: Nutrient Z! If I'm to take 2000 or more points of damage in one turn, Nutrient Z gives me 4000 more LP before the damage is calculated!"

_However, the situation is getting worse by the minute,_ Yami thought. _Mai and I can barely hold on, while Dartz continues to grow stronger. Now, what could Pegasus mean by unlocking the secret of the Legendary Dragons? Could the card he gave me be the secret to defeating Dartz?_

"I'll place these two cards face down on the field and end my turn for now." Dartz said, inserting the cards into his slot. "All right Ms. Valentine, go ahead and make your final move. With only 1200 LP remaining, your time is just about up anyway."

As Mai is about to draw her card, Dartz cut her off. "Now, I activate one of my face down cards: Battle After the Storm! The trap card will render you defenseless. First, all three of us must discard one card from our hands." As Yami and Mai both discarded a card from their hands, Dartz continued, "Next, it allows me to choose one of the monsters on your side of the field and destroy it, and I choose your Different Dimension Dragon! And I know your Different Dimension Dragon's weakness: it cannot be destroyed by magic or trap cards unless it specifically designates a target, like my Battle After the Storm trap card."

Mai's Different Dimension Dragon is destroyed. "Finally, if the monster I chose is destroyed, I can then choose one of my monsters and allow it to attack you." Dartz continued. "And since you only have one face down card as defense, I can attack you directly. So, I'll choose Mirror Knight Joseph and let him strike you!"

"_NO! Joey, please fight it! I know you can still hear me!"_ Mai screamed, as Joey raised his sword and leapt forward.

To Dartz's surprise, Joey stopped in the middle of the attack, his sword less than an inch from Mai's face. His entire body shook, beads of sweat rolled down his face. But he lowered his sword and shield, and to Mai's relief, jumped back to Dartz's side of the field.

A tear slid down Mai's cheek. During the few seconds Joey was only an inch away from her, she saw the pain in Joey's eyes, and the strain he was forced to confront to stop his attack on her.

_Every part of Joey is being pushed to his limits to defy Dartz now,_ Mai thought sadly. _Even in this state, after everything I put him through, Joey is still trying to protect me. I have to find a way to protect HIM! But due to the third layer of the seal, no magic and trap card can negatively affect or destroy Dartz's monsters, which means now I have to rely solely on monster special abilities now. And even if I succeed in sending his Mirror Knights off the field, Joey could be killed in that process! But if I do nothing, Dartz may find a way to send his Mirror Knights off the field anyway, which means I would still lose him! There's got to be something I haven't thought of yet that get protect Joey!_

"What!?" Dartz exclaimed in disbelief. "How can he be strong enough to withstand _three layers_ of the seal?"

"The two of us go back quite some time, Dartz. There is a bond between the two of us that you'll _never_ break! In fact, I bet Joey could have defied you in attacking the pharaoh. He only did it to help the pharaoh activate his Nutrient Z trap card, allowing him to stay in the game." Mai replied.

"You don't even have any respect for three who once worked for you." Mai accused, pointing to Valon. "Valon was poisoned by the Orichalcos, but during that time, he was loyal to you until the end, and look at how you rewarded _him!"_

Dartz laughed. "Perhaps you should know the entire story, Ms. Valentine. Just take a look at my stone walls." he said, as the torches that surround room lit up again. "Every single person engraved on the stone tablets gave in to the their darkness and was captured by the Seal of Orichalcos. You are no different, Ms. Valentine. You actually thought Joseph Wheeler helped set you free? He merely deceived you."

"Knock it off!" Mai shouted. "Joey and I have something that you'd never understand, Dartz! And I know he would never do such a thing!"

"Since he was captured by the seal, it means he's evil, just like all humans." Dartz replied. "Which is why I was chosen to wipe them out and start all over again. You see, you can't just walk away from the darkness, Ms. Valentine. That darkness is a part of who you truly are."

Mai raised her eyebrows in confusion. "If your story was true, then I should have lost my soul the instant you gave me the power of the Orichalcos, just like Rafael, Alister, and Valon."

"Wrong, Ms. Valentine." Dartz corrected. "I didn't capture your soul, along with Rafael, Alister, and Valon because your rage and anger made it easy for me to carry out my plan."

"That's only me. What does this have to do with the three of them?" Mai demanded. "And if all humans are truly evil, then why didn't _you_ get captured by the Seal of Orichalcos?"

"I'm a pioneer, chosen by the Orichalcos to recreate paradise on Earth, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. "And my task is nearly complete. Soon I'll have enough power to raise the Leviathan and rebuild civilization!"

"You see Ms. Valentine, I've been gathering human souls for 10,000 years in order to regenerate the Great Beast." Dartz explained. "But it became clear that time was running out, so I needed help. That's the upside to the human mind: it is _so_ easily deceived. Rafael, Alister, and Valon may have been hired, but they were going to be sacrificed for my goals anyway."

"A few subordinates were needed to carry out my plan, and that's where the three of them came in. They needed to be filled with enough anger in order to tap the full power of the Orichalcos, as well as have a reason for hating the people of this world as much as I do." Dartz continued. "When I encountered Rafael, Alister, and Valon, I knew I had found the people I was looking for. All I needed was a way to influence certain events in their lives."

"What do you mean, influence? All three of them said that the chaos that happened in their lives were natural disasters!" Mai protested.

"It looks like I have to spell it out for you. Alister and his family suffered when Gozaburo Kaiba's tanks destroyed their town so that Gozaburo Kaiba the town's township. Alister blamed Kaiba for his brother and his family's suffering, since he believed it was Gozaburo who did it to his family and his brother. That was only partially true. The Kaiba Corp tanks were indeed the ones that destroyed Alister's town, but no member of Alister's family was captured. And while Gozaburo didn't care about the destruction done to the town, he _did_ care about its inhabitants, which is why tried to keep the casualty list low. By using the power of the Orichalcos, it was easy for me to disguise myself as Gozaburo Kaiba and capture Alister's family and his brother." Dartz revealed.

Mai gasped in shock as Dartz continued, "Valon was a lot harder to make that happen, since he was an outsider when he was young, just like yourself, Ms. Valentine. I concluded that bringing chaos into _his_ life would certainly not be easy. But the Australian had it even harder than you, Ms. Valentine. While you grew up with a rich family with nearly complete luxury, Valon's parents abandoned him in an orphanage almost right after he was born. It became clear to me that only a juvenile detention center would be worse, and I found a perfect one near Valon's location in Sydney, Australia. And thanks to the power of the Orichalcos, I was easily able to set up a dueling club in several of them. Valon was thrown in and out of 12 different detention centers, but I knew he'd settle down in one of them eventually. As for how I got him into a juvenile detention center in the first place, I'm sure you recall Valon telling you his story of being accused of burning down his entire orphanage after he brought you to me."

"_You_ did that!?" Mai screamed in anger.

"Of course," Dartz replied. "It was the only way to get Valon in a juvenile detention center really quickly. And by framing him for that crime at the age of nine, Valon's dueling skills rapidly increased during the time he dueled in the detention center, allowing him to make the perfect candidate for me. As for Rafael, _his_ childhood was very similar to yours, Ms. Valentine. Just like yourself, Rafael also grew up in a world of luxury, having practically everything a kid could ever want."

"I'm aware of Rafael's story, Dartz!" Mai shouted. "He told me that on one particular day, the luxury liner he was on when he was just a kid was caught in a typhoon. His family escaped, but Rafael was stranded on an island for three full years, with nothing but his duel monsters deck."

"True," Dartz replied. "But answer me this, Ms. Valentine. I know you're not a weather expert, but I _do_ know that you are smart enough to know that typhoons cannot just come out of nowhere, nor can they be formed all of a sudden out of nothing. When Rafael told you his life story, I'm sure he told you that the seas were calm when the typhoon began."

"Wait a minute, Dartz! Are you telling me that _you_ created that typhoon?" Mai demanded angrily.

"With the power of the Orichalcos, all I had to do was chant a spell and a typhoon of any magnitude could easily materialize." Dartz replied. "Besides, I found that Rafael's life was too perfect, and adjustments were necessary. And even if he didn't have such a luxurious life, it was still necessary."

"Why's that?" Yami demanded.

"Rafael had practically mastered the game of duel monsters at a young age, and he was a better duelist than Alister and Valon since he had practiced duel monsters _long_ before he became my employee. Alister and Valon, on the other hand, didn't start practicing until _after _I gave them the power of the Orichalcos. I had observed Rafael's skills for quite some time, and I was quite impressed with them. But it was necessary to release Rafael's anger. I needed his agony and his thirst for vengeance. After all, I knew that a time may come that I would have to deal with the three legendary dragons once again." Dartz replied.

Mai clenched her teeth in anger as Dartz continued, "And _that_ is how the perfect match ups were formed. Alister blamed Kaiba for his family's suffering, allowing him to tap the full power of the Seal of Orichalcos when he dueled him. As for you, pharaoh, I knew that Rafael would match quite well against you. He had already mastered the game, and what better opponent to challenge him than the one who claimed that he could never be beaten under all circumstances?"

"And just what does Valon have to do with Joey?" Mai demanded. "I'm sure it can't be just about me!"

"How right you are, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. "I kept very minor tabs on Joseph Wheeler when he was just a kid. His parents' divorce was tough on him, and being left with an alcoholic father hardened his heart. This was the reason why he became a bully in his teens, as well as why he liked to fight all the time. But I also know that looks can be deceiving. And I was right when he met Yugi Mutou. From that point on, he began to change. His heart softened. That's what made Valon going up against Joseph so interesting. In _that_ duel, Joseph was looking into a mirror of himself: the way he is now, and the way he once was."

Mai's eyes widened. This was _exactly_ what Joey thought when he was dueling against Valon. "Then answer me this Dartz: if I wasn't what you were looking for, why did you even give me the power of the Orichalcos in the first place?" she asked angrily. "I'm sure it couldn't be solely for the purpose of saving you the trouble of capturing Joey's soul!"

"Of course not, Ms. Valentine." Dartz answered. "When Valon brought you in, I almost didn't want to give you the power of the Orichalcos because you were way too power hungry, where infinite power was still insufficient for you. But like Rafael, you grew up in a world of luxury, where you also had nearly everything you ever wanted, except maybe friends. That is what fueled your anger and rage: your desire for friends, but only saw other people in your life as stepping stones to achieve your own ends."

"When you met Yugi and Joey at Duelist Kingdom, that part of you began to change. You began to view people are more than mere stepping stones." Dartz continued, "At the same time, however, you became increasingly angry that your dueling reputation was being ruined, especially by Joseph Wheeler, who you believed was nothing more than a mere bug that should have been squashed ages ago. I realized that the power of the Orichalcos had to be adjusted in your mind to achieve the same results of Alister, Rafael, and Valon. So, when I gave you the power of the Orichalcos, I adjusted it to make you think that it was Joseph Wheeler who took away your glory that you always wanted. You wouldn't even believe how little you resisted!" Dartz ended, laughing evilly, as Mai's eyes bulged in anger and fury.

"Mai, whatever you do, don't listen to him!" Yami warned. "He's just trying to corrupt you again!"

"You're too late for that, pharaoh." Dartz replied, as the Seal of Orichalcos began to reappear on Mai's forehead. "The power of the Orichalcos I gave to her can never be extinguished. In just a few more seconds, her dark side will reemerge, allowing me to take full control of her once again. Granted, I _did_ have a tough time controlling her before when she had the power of the Orichalcos, but she will be on my side once again! For in a few moments, the Seal of Orichalcos will reappear on her, bringing her back to me!"

But to Dartz's surprise, the seal on Mai's forehead suddenly disappeared. "What!? How did you suppress your true self once again?" Dartz demanded.

Tilting her face back up, Mai smiled. "I'm sure you recall just as Joey appeared on your stone wall, the Orichalcos link was severed from within me, Dartz."

"I remember," Dartz said. "Then, all of a sudden, Joseph Wheeler disappeared from my wall for a brief period of time."

"During those moments, Joey came back to me." Mai revealed, chuckling. "You thought there was still Orichalcos magic left in me, didn't you, Dartz? You would have been right, had Joey not purified me. And with that, I am now free from all Orichalcos ties from within me."

"So it looks like your little speech for the Orichalcos to regain control of me didn't work!" Mai continued, smiling. "And now, I know the entire story of your cruelties!"


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Dartz chuckled. "So you avoided one move from being taken by the Orichalcos, Ms. Valentine. You won't be able to keep that up very long, so let's get back to the duel. Last I checked, your turn had just begun."

_I need something very useful right now!_ Mai thought as she drew her card. _The pharaoh and I don't have any monsters on the field, and I only have a single face down card and the pharaoh has none!_

"You'll never win this duel Dartz, so watch _this!"_ Mai shouted, drawing his card. Her eyes widened. _It's Kaiba's Fang of Critius! But I'm not a Chosen Duelist, and the only reason why I was able to use the Claw of Hermos was because of Joey's spirit! How would I know if I can REALLY wield a legendary dragon?_

"Mai," Yami said gently. "Whatever you drew, just trust your instincts. Remember what you're fighting for. Remember _who_ you're fighting for."

Mai nodded, looking at the back wall, then to Dartz's Mirror Knights. _Valon, you were lied to from the very beginning. You didn't deserve your childhood being taken away._ She then looked at Rafael, engraved in stone on the back wall. _Rafael, I know I sealed you in there, but you don't deserve this either. Dartz took away your entire life, and I'll avenge that. The pharaoh is right. I'm fighting for more than just Joey's freedom, though it's still my main reason. I'm fighting for other people's freedom too, even yours, Rafael._ She then holds up the card into the air, and it shines near blinding light.

"Now Dartz, let's see how you stand up to _this!"_ Mai shouted, raising her card into the air, as Critius appears on the field.

_Thank you Joey,_ Mai thought. _It was from your help that I was able to wield this card. Since you are a Chosen Duelist, you must be able to wield all three dragons. And since your spirit is within my heart, you're still with me helping my wield the legendary dragon Critius._

"It's Critius!" Dartz exclaimed, seeing Critius appear before him. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you successfully summoned it, Ms. Valentine. That life force increase I sensed from within you couldn't have been a mere coincidence."

Yami wasn't too greatly surprised by this. _It's Joey's spirit from within Mai,_ he thought. _That is why she successfully summoned Critius to the field._ "Mai, you've never seen the Fang of Critius in action, so you wouldn't know how it works. The Fang of Critius is different from the Claw of Hermos. You have to combine it with a _trap_ card in order to use it." Yami explained, turning to Mai.

Some of the color drained from Mai's face. _No,_ she thought. _This isn't what I had hoped for! There are only two useful trap cards left in my hand, and those are Mirror Force and Attack Guidance Barrier! If the Fang of Critius is to be combined with a trap card, then it must also have the trap card's effect!_

"Mai, just trust me!" Yami said. "If you've got a trap card, use it on Critius now! Otherwise, Critius will disappear from the field!"

Mai nodded gently. "I'll play this card face down, then I'll reveal it: Mirror Force! Now, I'll merge the Fang of Critius with my trap card! Come forth, Mirror Force Dragon!" Mai shouted, as a four winged dark purple dragon appeared on the field (2800 atk).

"What are you planning, Mai?" Yami asked.

Mai looked at Yami sadly. "That's the bad news, pharaoh. As you know, the Mirror Force trap card has the ability to destroy every single monster on the field. That special ability is now in Mirror Force Dragon. If I launch an attack, I can destroy every single monster on Dartz's side of the field and render him defenseless."

"But what about our friends?" Yami protested.

Mai sighed. "That's just it, pharaoh. I just don't know if they will be gone forever, or will they reappear on Dartz's stone wall. If it's the latter, we'll still have a chance to rescue them, but what if it's not?" Tears began to form in her eyes. "I turned my back on Joey once, and _this_ is what it did to him! I can't lose him again!"

Then, to Mai's shock, Joey suddenly spoke. "Mai……if you have truly become the person I believed you are…..you _will_ call this attack!"

"Joey!" Mai cried, shocked by this sudden reaction from him. "I won't do it! I won't turn my back on you again!"

"Mai…..please stop trying………..to find……..an alternative. I'll…..be fine……stop worrying about me……and do………the right thing….…"

"But you could die! I lost you once, I can't lose you again, not after everything that's happened!" Mai cried.

"Mai….remember………what I said to you …….in that duel………..do you……….still remember?" Joey asked, struggling to speak.

As tears spilled from her eyes, Mai thought back to her duel with Joey, the one where he freed her from the Orichalcos spell.

Flashback:

"But remember, _you_ have the strongest monster now. How you use it is completely up to you. But like I said before, you're one of the greatest duelists I know, and I'm sure you're going to make the right decision." Joey said as Mai's Cyber Harpy's atk was increased to 4100 from his Blue Flame Swordsman.

End of Flashback

_It was in that duel that I made my gravest error when I attacked Joey,_ Mai thought, _I will not do it again!_ "I remember, Joey." she said softly. "I made the worst decision of my life then, and I won't do it again!"

Struggling to speak, Joey continued. "Please Mai…………..trust me……….." he pleaded. "Do…………...the right thing………."

"Get on with it, Ms. Valentine, everyone's waiting!" Dartz taunted.

Desperate to figure out what to do, Mai turned to Yami. "Mai," Yami said softly. "No one can answer this for you. This is something you have to decide by yourself."

"And what if I choose wrong? What if it really _does_ kill Joey in the process? I know how much his friendship means to you, pharaoh!" Mai cried.

"Neither of us knew how the other two layers of the Seal worked until Dartz explained it to us, Mai." Yami replied. "It is impossible for us to know what will happen to our friends without launching this attack."

"No!" Mai cried. "There's too much riding on this move! Who am I to gamble with Joey's life? And what will happen, if I fail? I will not do this!"

"Mai," Yami said softly. "I was thinking the _exact_ same thoughts when I dueled against you in that duel at the Duelist Kingdom finals. Pegasus had the souls of Yugi's grandfather, and well as Kaiba and Mokuba. I _had_ to beat you in that duel in order to save _them._"

"I remember that duel, pharaoh." Mai said, recalling. "After your Swords of Revealing Light faded, you summoned your Black Luster Soldier out and defeated me."

"That's true, but what you _didn't_ know was that I was missing one card in order to complete the ritual, and if I didn't draw it, I would have lost the duel." Off Mai's horrified look, Yami continued, "So you see, with Yugi's help, I risked three souls on that draw. The risk involved was almost just as great."

"We are facing a very similar situation now, Mai." Yami said, pointing to Dartz's knights. "The question now is: are _you_ willing to put _them_ on the line in order to save Joey?"

"But what if I'm wrong?" Mai cried. "What if it doesn't work? Joey will be gone forever, and I'll never forgive myself!"

"No one will blame you," Yami replied softly. "Please Mai, trust your instincts. You know what the right decision is."

Mai's entire body trembled. Her hands shook. _I can't do this!_ she thought. _I can't lose Joey! When I lost him to the Orichalcos, I thought I'd never see him again! Losing Joey PERMENANTLY to the darkness is something I WILL NOT RISK!_

Suddenly, Joey spoke up again. "Mai…..Mai…..you know…..what the right decision is…..please………..do it!"

"_No!"_ Mai shrieked. "I won't risk losing you, Joey!"

"Mai, please!" Joey pleaded. "I…..can't……fight the seal……much longer! Please……I'm begging you…….please call your attack on me! I…..know…..it hurts…….but…..you…..have…..to…..do…..it……please!"

"_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"_ Mai screamed, falling to her knees as tears burst from her eyes, falling down her face. Her mind and her heart both screamed in despair. Every part of her mind wanted to call the attack and render Dartz defenseless, but her heart screamed in protest for fear that Joey could be gone forever if she calls this attack. And even though her heart couldn't stand seeing Joey suffer like this anymore, it just couldn't accept the unimaginable pain if Joey was truly killed in this attack.

Mai then looked at Joey's face, twisted in pain from what the Orichalcos was doing to him, and then to her Mirror Force Dragon. "Joey, I beg you, forgive me!" she whispered. "Now Mirror Force Dragon, launch your attack!"

Mirror Force Dragon fires its rainbow energy blast, hitting Joey's mirror shield. The blast is then reflected back to Mirror Force Dragon.

"Kyutora, absorb the damage!" Dartz ordered. Orichalcos Kyutora sucks the energy waves into its eye, assimilating the 2300 pts of damage. (Kyutora's Damage Absorption: 17600)

"Now Mirror Force Dragon, activate Absorb Reflection!" Mai shouted, as the reflected blast in absorbed into Mirror Force Dragon's four wings. "And now Dartz, I can use the absorbed blast and send it back to your side of the field, and destroy all of your monsters!"

"Impressive Ms. Valentine, now we're about to find out what will happen when that blast hits my knights." Dartz replied.

"Mai, I know this must be painful for you, but you must do this!" Yami said. "Neither of us knows what's going to happen, so you just have to go with your heart!"

"Joey, I love you," Mai whispered. "Now Mirror Force Dragon, activate your Absorb Reflection!" The energy from Mirror Force Dragon's four wings is gathered together into one, which is then fired at Dartz's Mirror Knights.

_If this doesn't work, there no point for me to continue on with the duel,_ Mai thought sadly, as the rainbow beam Mirror Force Dragon fired out splits into hundreds of thin rainbow beams, raining down upon Yugi, Joey, Valon, and Pegasus.

"Not bad, Ms. Valentine." Dartz observed. "But I'll be just fine, thanks to my Kyutora. You see, even though it too is about to be destroyed, it will still absorb all the damage, 2300 each from my Mirror Knights, and 1800 from itself, before saying its final goodbye." (Kyutora's Damage Absorption: 28600)

One by one, Dartz's monsters disappeared from the field. First Orichalcos Kyutora, then his Mirror Knights, until finally, only Joey was left on Dartz's side of the field.

"Joey! Are you all right?" Mai cried, as Joey slowly sank to one knee.

Slowly, Joey raised his head back up and smiled at Mai. Mai choked on her tears. Joey's facial expression was virtually identical to the one he gave her during the final moments of their Orichalcos duel, when he raised his head and smiled at her, telling her that she won, then began to collapse, unable to stand any longer.

_Please tell me you're all right Joey,_ her mind screamed. _I can't stand you suffering like this anymore!_

"Mai………thank you….." Joey said, smiling up at her, then disappeared in a flash of bright light.


	31. Chapter 31

YAY!!! We're back with another chapter of Shining Friendship's Guiding Light by my good friend Ragnarok. Please review ^_^

* * *

Chapter 31

"Mai, it's ok now," Yami said. "Just take a look at the stone wall behind Dartz. Our friends are back on the wall again, which means we still have a chance to save them."

Mai breathed out a sigh of relief. _At least Joey is safe,_ she thought. Then, pointing to Dartz, she shouted, "And now Dartz, thanks to my Mirror Force Dragon, your Orichalcos Kyutora is now destroyed, which means you have no way to absorb battle damage from destroyed monsters anymore, nor do you have any monsters left on the field to protect you!"

Dartz laughed. "I suggest you take a closer look, Ms. Valentine. My Kyutora has another special ability. Whenever it is destroyed, it evolves!" A bright blast of energy suddenly lit up from where Orichalcos Kyutora was destroyed, and a gigantic green statue suddenly appears.

"What's going on?" Mai cried, horrified to see another one of Dartz's monsters appear on the field.

"My Kyutora is all grown up, so playtime is over!" Dartz announced. "Now, meet Orichalcos Shunoros!" At this point, the giant green statue turned upright and assumed its battle position.

"Now, Orichalcos Shunoros, show these pathetic fools your awesome power!" Dartz shouted.

"Are we supposed to be frightened by your giant statue?" Mai demanded angrily.

"You should be Ms. Valentine, though I should be thanking the two of you. You two were the ones who created this unstoppable beast! You may have destroyed my previous monsters, but you released something far worse, for Orichalcos Shunoros's atk strength is equal to the amount of damage my Orichalcos Kyutora absorbed!" Off Yami and Mai's horrified looks, Dartz smiled evilly. "And in case you haven't been keeping count, that's a grand total of 28600 points!"

The seal appears on Orichalcos Shunoros's forehead, increasing its atk to 29100.

"It can wipe us out in a single blow!" Yami observed, horrified.

"That's true, but I'll activate Orichalcos Shunoros's special ability first," Dartz announced. "Now Orichalcos Shunoros, release Orichalcos Dexia and Orichalcos Aristeros!" Orichalcos Shunoros's left and right arms immediately detach, the Seal of Orichalcos appearing on them and increasing their atk strength from 0 to 500.

"What is the meaning of this?" Yami demanded, as the two arms detach from Orichalcos Shunoros and hover by its left and right side.

"Orichalcos Shunoros just released two more creatures: Orichalcos Dexia and Orichalcos Aristeros." Dartz explained. "Now, allow me to explain how the three of them work. Since all of Orichalcos Shunoros's atk points came from Orichalcos Kyutora's damage absorption, its attack will decrease every time it attacks by the same amount of points the monster Orichalcos Shunoros is attacking."

"As for my right and left arms, they are my ultimate sword and shield." Dartz continued. "You see, Orichalcos Dexia's attack strength will always be 300 points higher than whatever monster it's attacking, making it the perfect sword. And before you can attack any other monster, you have to attack Orichalcos Aristeros first, and its defense strength is always 300 points higher than whatever monster that attacks it, which makes it the perfect shield. Since these two monsters came from Orichalcos Shunoros, Shunoros's attack strength will decrease every time Orichalcos Dexia's attack strength goes up and when Orichalcos Aristeros's defense strength goes up. Finally, as long as Orichalcos Dexia and Orichalcos Aristeros are on the field, Orichalcos Shunoros cannot be destroyed, so you'll never get past my triple threat!"

_Not only is Orichalcos Shunoros stronger than Mirror Force Dragon, but with Dexia and Aristeros protecting Shunoros, our attacks won't even get through!_ Yami thought. _Not to mention that fact that Dartz positioned his Orichalcos Shunoros in the rear row, which means we can't attack it until we've destroyed Orichalcos Dexia and Orichalcos Aristeros anyway!_

"Well you can't attack since it's still my turn, Dartz!" Mai said, her voice shaking. "And even if you _can_ attack, you'd lose! Mirror Force Dragon will reflect your attack back at your monsters, so if your Orichalcos Shunoros destroys my Mirror Force Dragon, I'll lose 26300 LP, but you'll lose 28600 LP as well once my Mirror Force Dragon reflects that attack back to your Orichalcos Dexia!"

"That's where you're wrong, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. "Did you forget that I still have a face down card on the field? Well now it's time I activate it. So I'll reveal my trap card: Martyr Curse! This can only be used when both sides have monsters on the field. It allows me to choose one of my monsters and attack one of _your_ monsters. And as a nasty side effect, this trap will also cancel out any special abilities your monster may have."

Looking at Mirror Force Dragon, Dartz continued, "And since Mirror Force Dragon is the only monster on the field, I have no choice but to target it. And without its reflecting capability, your dragon is now defenseless!"

_No, if this attack hits Mai, she'll lose her soul!_ Yami thought.

"Orichalcos Shunoros, remove Mirror Force Dragon so that the Orichalcos can remove Ms. Valentine's spirit!" Dartz ordered. Orichalcos Shunoros gathers up its energy, then fires a green photon ring at Mai's monster.

"Wrong, Dartz!" Mai shouted. "You were so busy admiring your monsters that you failed to remember that _I_ still have one card face down on the field! Now I'll activate it: Interdimensional Matter Transporter! This trap allows me to choose a monster from my side of the field and remove it from the field for one phase, so my Mirror Force Dragon is safe!"

Mirror Force Dragon suddenly disappears from the field, and the green photon ring dissipates. "With no target left, your attack must now dissipate," Mai explained. "And your Orichalcos Shunoros just lost 2800 atk points for nothing!" She pointed to Orichalcos Shunoros, whose attack decreases to 26300, and Mirror Force Dragon reappears on the field.

"Perhaps, but I can still rid the field of your dragon, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. "You see, my Martyr Curse trap has another effect: if the attack phase has ended and both sides still have monsters on the field, I can attack you again!" Off Mai's horrified look, he continued, "But fortunately for you, I cannot attack with the exact same monster, so I have no choice but to let Orichalcos Dexia attack your Mirror Force Dragon instead."

"Orichalcos Dexia, activate!" Dartz ordered. "Since it ensured that its atk strength is always 300 points higher than whatever monster it's attacking, Dexia's attack will now increase to 3100. And since it already has 500 atk points from the Seal of Orichalcos, it only needs to borrow _2600_ atk points from Orichalcos Shunoros, instead of all 3100. And since my trap is still in effect, your Mirror Force Dragon still can't activate any of its special abilities."

"Orichalcos Dexia, destroy Ms. Valentine's Mirror Force Dragon!" Dartz ordered. Orichalcos Dexia's atk increases to 3100, and Orichalcos Shunoros's atk decreases to 23700. Orichalcos Dexia fires out its energy blast, and Mai's Mirror Force Dragon is destroyed. (Mai's LP: 900) "Any final moves, Ms. Valentine?"

Mai covered her face from the blast, then looked down at her deck. _I only have 900 LP left,_ she thought, _and I don't have a single monster card left in my hand._ "I'll place my last four cards face down on the field and end my turn." she said, inserting the cards into her duel disk's slots.

"Well, pharaoh," Dartz taunted. "Any monsters _you've_ got that can delay your downfall? After all, you don't have anything on the field, face up or face down."

"That's _enough_, Dartz!" Yami shouted, his LP at 2800. "You'll _never_ win this duel! The two of us _will_ set our friends free!"

"Just like what you did 5000 years ago?" Dartz asked sarcastically.

"What are you talking about?" Yami demanded.

"The two of us met 5000 years ago, pharaoh. We weren't introduced, but I was there, watching." Dartz answered.

"I'm listening," Yami said, folding his arms.

"After the Battle of Atlantis ended and the Great Leviathan was imprisoned in the ocean depths, I thought it would be imprisoned there forever. That is, until I met you." Dartz replied.

"And just what does your Leviathan have to do with _me,_ Dartz?" Yami demanded.

"I thought you'd never ask, pharaoh." Dartz replied. The seal flashes before the three of them again, and Yami and Mai find themselves hovering over an ancient city.

"Where are we, pharaoh?" Mai asked. "Wait, is this another vision created by the Orichalcos?"

"Very observant, Ms. Valentine." Dartz said, appearing before them. "We are now in the year 3000 B.C., in ancient Egypt. This is the palace of the pharaoh. Now, take a look inside the palace."

The seal moved them into the palace, and Yami sees himself, along with a priest that looked like Kaiba, facing a giant winged serpentine monster.

"That looks almost exactly like you, pharaoh." Mai observed, pointing. "And that priest looks a lot like Kaiba."

"It _is_ the pharaoh, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. "Now keep watching."

In the vision, the pharaoh chanted his own spell……and summoned on Obelisk the Tormentor. Obelisk launches its attack, smashing the serpentine monster across the room with its mighty fist.

"Why are we watching this?" Yami asked.

"It was on this day that I knew that the Great Leviathan would rise again, and it's all because of you and the magic that you wield." Dartz replied. The vision then flashes to nightfall, showing the serpentine monster escaping the palace grounds, with the pharaoh following it on horseback.

"After the Leviathan was sealed away, I was forced to wander the Earth and wait. After all, I couldn't wipe out humanity on my own, I needed power, and that's where you came in. Just see for yourself," Dartz continued, as the vision showed the pharaoh chanting another spell, and Slifer the Sky Dragon rose out from behind him. The citizens on the streets immediately scatter as the pharaoh rode through the streets. One of them had his back to the pharaoh when he rode through and turned around—it's Dartz.

"It _is_ you back there, Dartz." Mai observed. "You traveled all across the world in the hopes that you could release the Leviathan again."

"Exactly, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. "You see, pharaoh, I sensed right away that your life energy was exactly what I needed to raise the Leviathan."

"If that was true, then why did you wait? If my power was so close to you back then, why didn't you confront me?" Yami asked.

"There was another individual that was threatening to destroy the planet back then and he was in my way. _That's_ why my wait continued. But I knew right then and there, the day would eventually come." Dartz replied, as the vision showed the city in ruins.

The vision then flashed to the present, showing Yugi completing the Millennium Puzzle. "And 5000 years later, my suspicions were confirmed, when a naïve kid unlocked the dark magic." Dartz continued, as the Millennium Puzzle lit up, Yami, along with Kaiba and Bakura are shown in the flash. "With that came the return of the Shadow Games, the rebirth of the pharaoh, and the return of the pharaoh's rivals."

"So _that's_ why you've been targeting our friends," Yami said, putting the pieces together.

"Exactly, pharaoh. You should be flattered." Dartz replied.

"And why's that?" Yami demanded.

"As you recall, I've been collecting souls to feed the Great Leviathan for 10,000 years to fuel its rebirth." Dartz answered. "But I had _never_ encountered such a powerful group of souls until now."

Yami opened his mouth to retaliate, but Dartz cut him off. "And don't tell me _I'm_ the evil one, pharaoh. The fact remains that _you_ were the one who ushered the age of the Shadow Games 5000 years ago and nearly destroyed your entire kingdom!"

"You lie!" Yami shouted.

"I saw it all with my own eyes." Dartz insisted. "I saw how you conjured up shadow creatures to do your bidding, so there's no denying that you are evil, pharaoh! And once I feed your soul to the Great Leviathan, you'll get exactly what you deserve, and I'll complete the plan that I started centuries ago!"


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

"_Now_ do you understand why you were brought back, pharaoh?" Dartz asked, as he, Yami and Mai reappear in the temple room. "It was no fluke. You were indeed chosen to save the world, but not in the way you are doing. You were chosen to offer your soul to the Great Leviathan!"

"And what about everyone else?" Mai demanded. "Or were they just in the wrong place at the wrong time, Dartz?"

Dartz laughed. "Humanity is evil, Ms. Valentine. To a very slight degree, you're right. There are indeed plenty of souls I've captured that simply had bad luck, in the wrong place at the wrong time. But since they were all evil, they deserved no better. Once the Great Leviathan rises, it was my intention to wipe them out anyway!"

Dartz then gestured to the people engraved on his stone. "The people on my stone wall, on the other hand, can at the very least serve a purpose: by offering their strength to the Great Leviathan! And once you and the pharaoh are on my wall, the Great Beast can finally cross over into our world!"

"From the vision you showed, it looks like only _one_ soul is needed to awaken your Leviathan: the pharaoh's soul!" Mai shouted angrily. "And you're _not_ getting it!"

"So you think you deserve better, Ms. Valentine?" Dartz taunted. "All right, allow me to show you what _you_ have to do with the Great Leviathan, as well as the darkness from within _you!"_ The three of them disappear from the temple room again, as the Orichalcos generates another vision.

Yami and Mai found themselves hovering above a cruise ship. "I don't expect you to recognize this, pharaoh." Dartz replied. "This is before you and Ms. Valentine even met." He then turned to Mai. "Remember _this,_ Ms. Valentine?"

"Mai, what is this?" Yami asked, looking at the cruise ship.

"The place where I built up my dueling experience before I met all of you," Mai said sadly, as the seal took them into the cruise ship. Yami found himself in the middle of a casino, surrounded by snobby rich businessmen.

"I remember this," Yami said. "It was during that night at Duelist Kingdom that you told us about it. You said that you got a job on a cruise ship that traveled around the world. _That_ is the reason why you became a wanderer."

"Yes," Mai admitted. "I always worked on luxury cruise ships, and since I grew up with a rich family, I was used to luxury and riches." The seal then moved the three of them deeper into the casino, where it displayed Mai humiliating rich card players at Duel Monsters.

"As you can see, Ms. Valentine, you never once cared about the people you humiliated." Dartz said. "True, most of them were able to shrug it off themselves within a matter of days, or at most, a matter of weeks, but some did not." The vision then changes, to card players that Mai humiliated showed faces clearly showed that their feelings were hurt. But Mai's face remained exactly the same, laughing at the player's humiliation and taking the money from him.

"That changed after I met Yugi, Joey, and the others, Dartz!" Mai shouted.

"Did it, Ms. Valentine?" Dartz replied. "I suggest you take a closer look." The vision changed again, this to the cruise ship that took Mai to Duelist Kingdom, still docked at Domino Harbor. The seal takes the three of them into the harbor, displaying where Mai met Yugi and Joey for the first time, and saying that she'll crush them both in the tournament. The vision then changes to Mai humiliating Rex Raptor in her luxury room, and laughing at his embarrassment and humiliation.

"Quit it with the technicalities, Dartz!" Mai seethed angrily. "You know what I'm talking about! At that moment, I didn't know anything about them yet, but that changed on the night I spent with them at the campfire!"

"Is that a fact, Ms. Valentine?" Dartz said sarcastically. The vision changed again, showing Mai spending the night at the campfire with Yugi and Joey. In the vision she tells them she'll be friendly to them for tonight, but will be enemies with them by morning.

"You didn't change one bit, Ms. Valentine. They were nothing more than mere stepping stones to you. You even admitted that yourself to Joseph Wheeler." With a bright flash, the seal took the three of them to the Industrial Illusions Building, where Mai accused Joey of preventing her from achieving true power, and she's here to break every single one of them apart, one by one, starting with Joey.

"_Don't you dare, Dartz!"_ Mai screamed, her eyes gleaming with anger. _"Don't you dare tell me I wanted Joey gone! It was your fault why I acted that way in the first place!"_

"It was _you_ who wanted to be the best duelist in the world, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied, ignoring Mai's anger. _"I_ cannot be held responsible for _your_ insatiable lust for power."

"Even if that was true, I only wanted to win! I never wanted to _kill!"_ Mai retaliated, as the vision changed to show Mai taking Pegasus's soul in his office.

"You should have thought of that possibility _before_ you received the power of the Orichalcos from me, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. The vision changed again, this time displaying Marik trapping her mind in the Shadow Realm.

"After you were freed from the shadow spell, the nightmares began for you." Dartz continued. "It was _you_ who wanted to gain power over them, and you didn't care what kind of power you were given, as long it worked in allowing you to control your own nightmares. I cannot be held responsible if you reacted differently to the power of the Orichalcos, Ms. Valentine. You should have thought of the possibility of receiving something that gave you control over your own nightmares, but replaced them with something worse in its place." The vision changed again, showing Mai holding Joey in her arms as the seal shrank around them, on the verge of tears, and mentally begging Joey for his forgiveness, her mind screaming in denial for the duel to end in such a way.

"Because of your egotistical personality, I found it virtually impossible to control you." Dartz continued. "However, you _were_ willing to take out Joseph Wheeler, and that was all I needed."

"_It was YOU who corrupted me into thinking that way, Dartz!"_ Mai shrieked. _"It was YOU who turned me against Joey!"_

"_You_ were the one who said that you and Joseph were not friends anyway, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied, as the vision changed again, showing the Battle Ship in the Battle City Finals, where Mai sat in Odion's room after Joey had defeated him, thinking that she never needed anyone. After that, it showed Mai going off to duel without knowing who her opponent was. When Joey tried to tell her that he'll be cheering for her, Mai told him that they aren't friends, and he would do nothing but get on her nerves.

Mai looked down sadly. _Joey,_ she mentally whispered, _you have no idea how much I want to take all that back. None of this would have happened to you if I had just opened my eyes to reality and admitted that I loved you._

"It was _you_ who chose to find someone to blame, Ms. Valentine." Dartz continued, as the vision changed again, showing her dueling Marik on the Battle Ship and Marik taking the duel to the Shadow Realm. A few feet from the dueling platform, Yami shouted for Mai to forfeit the duel immediately, but Mai said that she came too far just to back down. "It was _you_ who refused to listen, so when you lost that shadow game and had your mind sent to the Shadow Realm, it was your own fault. But you couldn't take it. You couldn't take the fact that you made an error in judgment when you chose to continue the duel, so you blamed it on Joseph Wheeler instead. It was _you_ who couldn't digest the fact that there was a very real possibility that you needed him, so you chose to believe that he had abandoned you instead. And even if you _truly_ missed him after Battle City, you chose the path of hating him because you found _that_ path a lot easier than trying to admit that you missed him. _You_ were the one who chose to cut him off, despite the fact that Joseph reached out to you so many times in the past and wanted to develop a strong bond of friendship between the two of you."

"It's no different than your other duel with him," Dartz went on, as the vision changed to show Mai dueling Joey in the empty parking lot in San Francisco, where Joey was pleading with Mai to stop the duel. But Mai ignored him, saying she came too far to become the best to back down now, without the slightest change in attitude.

"That's completely different, Dartz!" Mai raged. "In _that_ duel, I felt Joey's feelings and emotions. I may not have realized it until the very end, but deep inside me, that feeling was always there! I remembered the bond Joey and I shared, and _that_ is what helped me break the hold you had over me!"

"You never cared about Joseph Wheeler from the beginning," Dartz replied. "The only friends you've ever had were in the forms of power and luxury. All you care about is yourself."

"Wrong, Dartz!" Mai shouted. "I would have gladly given my life in that Orichalcos duel with Joey if it would have kept him safe, and that is something that I would _never_ reconsider!"

"Given your life for him? You would have done no such thing, Ms. Valentine. As long as you had power in the end, no sacrifice is too great for you." Dartz stated calmly, angering Mai further, as the seal reformed in the temple again, and the three of them reappear within it. "Why else would you have sacrificed Joseph Wheeler for your own goals? You're just like the rest of humanity, pure evil and twisted, Ms. Valentine. And soon, all of you will get what you deserve!"


	33. Chapter 33

Okay people, sorry you had to wait so long for the next chapter. Anyway, here it is and hopefully the next one will be coming even soon.

**REMINDER: I AM NOT THE AUTHOR!!! MY FRIEND, RAGNAROK, IS THE AUTHOR. GIVE HIM THE CREDIT, NOT ME!!! I'm just posting it for him.  
**

Please read and review for the next chapter to come sooner ^_^

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Chapter 33

Soul World

The Leviathan's giant eye gazed at the red space, where green bubbles are floating everywhere, each with a person trapped within in. Joey is in one of them.

"I've had weird dreams before, but nothing ever like this," he said, slowly opening his eyes. "I could have sworn I was in a duel, but how did I end up floating around in here?"

"Joey, is that you?" a voice asked.

"Yugi! Long time no see!" Joey exclaimed, turning to his side to see another bubble floating near him, with Yugi in it.

"I'm glad you're all right." Yugi replied.

"_Please,_ bubble boy, you call this all right?" Pegasus scoffed, floating around in another bubble. "If we don't escape soon, we never will!"

"And just where exactly _are_ we anyway?" Joey asked. But then, looking around, he saw other familiar faces within the green bubbles: Alister, Rafael, Kaiba, Weevil, and Rex, all unconscious in their bubbles. "Wait! Everyone here had their souls captured! This must be where the Orichalcos takes you after you lose a duel!"

"And things are about to get worse," Yugi said, looking ahead to see the green bubbles being sucked into the eye.

"What _is_ that?" Joey asked, nervous.

"Don't you ever pay attention? That's the Great Leviathan, and it's using human souls for power!" Pegasus said, disgusted that Joey still hasn't figured it out yet. "If that eye touches us, we'll be trapped in its belly!"

"But I don't want to be turned into soul food!" Joey cried. "I want to be out in the real world, not the belly of the beast!"

"We can still get out of here if the pharaoh defeats Dartz," Yugi said. "We may not be right next to him, but that's never stopped us before!"

"I'm not sure that's going to be enough this time," Joey replied glumly. "Dartz's game changes practically every single rule in the book, and there's no way to destroy the Seal of Orichalcos once it appears on the field. Not even our legendary dragons can do it."

"There is one thing that can help," Pegasus revealed. "It's the card I gave him. If the pharaoh can draw it, he'll release a force like no other."

"That card you gave him, it can beat Dartz?" Joey asked, incredulous.

"Nothing is _guaranteed,_ Joseph." Pegasus replied. "However, it _does_ have the best chance of beating Dartz. You see, it was during a trip to Egypt that inspired me to create the game to Duel Monsters."

"We already know that part," Joey said. "After Battle City, we knew everything about your trips to Egypt and how they convinced you to create Duel Monsters."

"When are you ever going to learn that the whole picture in a situation like this can never be that easily revealed, Joseph?" Pegasus scoffed. "I made an ancient discovery: ancient kings and sorcerers once performed dark rituals in order to conjure up real monsters to do their bidding."

"We know about that," Joey replied. "That is why when we duel in a shadow game or when the Seal of Orichalcos is in play, the monsters are real, and not holograms."

"Well tell me this: you knew how the monsters came into our world, but do you know where the monsters come from?" Pegasus asked. Off Joey's confused look, he smiled. "I thought not. The monsters were believed to exist in a universe parallel to our own, known as the Dominion of the Beasts. Guarding the gateway to the Dominion of the Beasts were the three legendary dragons: Timaeus, Critius, and Hermos."

"We already know about the three of them, Pegasus. What's your point?" Joey asked.

"These dragons aren't what they appear to be. They were buried with a dark secret, so I created a card that will unlock that secret, and _that_ is the card I gave to the pharaoh." Pegasus replied.

"And what secret would that be?" Yugi asked.

"I spent years searching the globe for that answer," Pegasus replied. "I searched from the microscopic world all the way to the vast reaches of the universe, but to no avail. Other than that one stone tablet buried deep beneath the sands of Egypt, there was no record that proved those legendary dragons even existed. And that's when I came to wonder: what if they weren't dragons at all? What if the dragon form is merely a mask to hide their _real_ identities?"

"So what exactly _are_ they, Pegasus? And what does it have to do with the card you gave to the pharaoh?" Yugi asked.

"During the Battle of Atlantis, Dartz transformed three brave knights into dragons in the hopes that they would be weakened to the point where they would never pose any threat to him again." Pegasus explained. "Now, the pharaoh must restore them to their original forms, before we disappear forever!"

"You have no idea what we've been through since you were taken by the Orichalcos, Yugi," Joey said. "I'll tell you all about it if we ever get out of here and Dartz is defeated, along with his soul-sucking Leviathan."

"Oh, but I _do_ know." Yugi said, pointing to his Millennium Puzzle. "The pharaoh and I share a bond. If you recall, if the Seal of Orichalcos is activated, only the person who played it and the person who is dueling him or her are allowed to stay in the seal. Everyone else is forced out immediately."

"What's your point?" Joey asked, but then his eyes widened in realization. "Wait, the pharaoh played the Seal of Orichalcos against Rafael! What happened to _you?"_

"I was still in the body," Yugi explained. "I was just sealed away from the pharaoh and Rafael."

"Then how exactly did you switch places with him so his soul would be spared in that duel?" Joey asked.

"By using the power of the Millennium Puzzle, of course." Yugi replied. "The puzzle allows me to see everything the pharaoh sees. And while I had been trapped here for quite some time, I _did_ know what happened. I know that the pharaoh confronted Weevil in an Orichalcos duel on the train en route to San Francisco. Afterwards, _I_ confronted him in Death Valley."

"What for?" Joey asked.

"After the pharaoh played the Seal of Orichalcos, I had to extract the last of its dark magic from within him." Yugi explained. "So, when I confronted him in the 'Stone Wilderness' in Death Valley, I challenged him to an Orichalcos duel. While the Seal of Orichalcos in _that_ duel was merely an illusion, it helped the pharaoh conquer his darkness, and allowed him to wield Timaeus once again."

_That sounds almost exactly like what I did with Mai,_ Joey thought. "In the meantime, I have other things to worry about." he said, "When I was in that duel with Dartz, I could have sworn I saw Mai again. Either that, or it's just another one of Dartz's hallucination tricks."

"I doubt that, Wheeler, considering the fact that I saw her too." a voice said.

"Valon!" Joey exclaimed. To his left, Valon was also awake, floating in another bubble.


	34. Chapter 34

Ragnarok has told me to put up chapter 34 as well as an apology to having all of you wait so long! Don't forget to read chapter 33 that also went up today and **please R&R**!!!

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Chapter 34

"You ended up in here less than 30 minutes after me, Wheeler." Valon replied. "Because of that, I'll assume an Orichalcos duel took place between you and Mai almost as soon as ours ended. Am I right?"

Off Joey's nod, Valon continued, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you lost. By the time _our_ duel ended, you looked like you could barely even stand up, much less stay up and continue to duel. I was barely awake myself when you appeared in this place, but I saw it, another bubble appearing out of nowhere and you unconscious in it."

"What are you getting at, Valon?" Joey asked. "Right before you ended up in here, you asked me to save Mai. I assume you're now upset that I failed?"

"Not exactly." Valon replied. "You may have lost the duel like I did, but before I ended up in here, I saw a soft side to Mai. She didn't seem to care one bit after all the beatings you and I took, but when I was about to lose my soul, she seemed very concerned."

"But now I know that it didn't last." Valon continued. "The Orichalcos still controlled her by then. I guess back then, she was glad that you won. It meant that she now had the opportunity to seal you away herself, and thus is the reason why she challenged you to a duel."

"Actually Valon, I challenged _her_ to a duel." Joey replied. "Granted I could barely stand, but I personally did not believe she would have let me walk away anyway. Now tell me, when you challenged me into our duel, was it only because you didn't want Mai in that kind of danger again, or did you also think that she couldn't really do it?"

"Mostly the former, Wheeler." Valon answered. "After getting the power of the Orichalcos from Dartz, she defeated Pegasus quite easily. You know, I didn't tell her this, but personally I think Pegasus let her win just to show you how critical the situation has become."

"You mentioned Mai taking Pegasus's soul in his office in our duel, Valon." Joey reminded. "You also said that it was there that you first learned about _me."_

Valon nodded. "Well, after you were down to 200 LP in that duel in the Industrial Illusions Building, I thought the duel was in the bag even if you gave it your all from that point onwards. Instead, without losing a single LP, you reduced Mai to 450 LP. You took away 3150 of her LP in just two moves after getting your legendary dragon. It became clear to me that Mai's deck was not ready for your dragon yet. And with the score almost even, Mai was in danger of losing her soul. I didn't realize it then, but now I understand that you were trying to get your LP and her LP to drop to 0 at the exact same time. This would prevent the seal from leaving with a soul since the duel would end in a draw."

"Well when you unlocked seal, that pretty much did the same thing." Joey pointed out.

Valon nodded. "It also became clear to me that looks can be _very_ deceiving. When you were down to 200 LP in that duel, I had expected you to last two or three more turns at most, not make a sudden comeback and strip away 3550 of _Mai's_ LP. With normal duelists, they would have known that they had lost by that point. It became clear to me that as long as you had LP _at all_, the threat of defeat would remain."

"Now tell me Wheeler, why did you challenge Mai into that duel?" Valon asked. "Even with the Orichalcos still in control of her, she might not have challenged you to a duel. I know Mai is quite egotistical, and would have thought that you should have learned your lesson last time."

Joey laughed. "That was _exactly_ what she said to me when I challenged her, Valon. As for why I challenged her, I knew that I couldn't talk any sense into her as long as the Orichalcos controlled her. Thus, I figured if my words couldn't get through to her, maybe my monsters could. Besides, I already knew _one_ weakness of the seal. If the person who played it is defeated, he will realize the mistakes he made. You realized that just moments before the seal captured you, Valon."

"However, I refused to believe that it was also the _only_ way. If it was, then the only way to knock Mai back to her senses would have been for me to seal her away. Then, right before her soul is taken, Mai would have realized that she was wrong." Joey continued.

"Something tells me you wouldn't be able to stand that." Valon said. _"I_ certainly wouldn't if I saw Mai get captured by the seal."

"Very observant, Valon." Joey replied. "I knew the Orichalcos control over Mai would be very strong, but I refused to believe that I could not break that control. I knew the real Mai was still in there, and I was going to free her, one way or another."

"Then I assume having the Seal of Orichalcos on the field was part of your plan then." Valon said. Off Joey's nod, he continued, "I knew it. Once the Seal of Orichalcos is on the field, the force that controlled Mai became stronger. You knew that, and you also knew that if you could wake Mai up with the Seal of Orichalcos in play, then the Orichalcos would be unable to control her any longer."

"Unless, of course, you took the Seal of Orichalcos from Mai and activated it yourself, Wheeler." Valon continued. "You see, that could be _another_ way to wake Mai up from the spell. After getting the power of the Orichalcos from Dartz, she used the Seal of Orichalcos in every single duel, activating the seal as soon as she drew it. I really wonder how she would react if someone used the seal against her."

"That method is a very dangerous alternative, Valon." Joey replied. "Everyone who played the Seal of Orichalcos got corrupted, even the pharaoh. If I had played it, it would have been no different. But to answer your question, I think Mai would be a little bit afraid, at least initially."

_I think I'll keep the purification process to myself for the time being,_ Joey thought. _I don't want Valon to know that Mai was terrified when I activated the Seal of Orichalcos on her._

"I couldn't risk that, so Mai was the one who activated the seal." Joey continued. "And by the time the duel even began, I was so weak from _our_ duel that I couldn't even see straight. About halfway through the duel, I had already reached the limits of my endurance. The only thing left that kept me going was because the Orichalcos still had control over Mai."

"Then I assume it was after she sealed you away before the Orichalcos spell over her was broken." Valon said, trying to put the pieces together. "And to answer your second question, I didn't know if Mai would seal you away or not, but I knew that she would react differently."

"You were right, Valon. And I freed her _before_ my soul was taken." Joey replied.

"Wait a minute! If you succeeded in freeing Mai _before_ you lost your soul, then that would mean that you freed her before your LP hit 0. If that's true, then why did you lose your soul?" Valon asked, confused.

Joey sighed. "All right, Valon. Maybe it's time I told you what happened right after you lost your soul, and how the Orichalcos duel between me and Mai ended."

Dartz's Temple

"Don't you see what's happening here Dartz?" Yami exclaimed. "The Orichalcos has corrupted your mind, filling you with lies for the last 10,000 years!"

"_You've_ lied to the world for nearly just as long, trying to convince everyone that fate sent you back to protect everyone from evil. Your heart is filled with evil, just like Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied, gesturing to Mai, who gritted her teeth in anger and frustration. "It is the exact same evil you claim to be fighting, pharaoh. You represent the darkness within all humans, so you must all be punished for that."

"For today, history repeats itself, and the Battle of Atlantis will begin again!" Dartz announced.

"You can't! I won't let you start another war!" Yami shouted.

"You're too late for that. As soon as you and Ms. Valentine offer your souls to the Great Leviathan, my beast will cross over to this world. And with my Orichalcos soldiers already in this world, I'd say the war has already begun. And once the Great Leviathan crosses over, the war will spread throughout the world." Dartz replied.

"If that's the case, the two of us will end it, here and now!" Yami shouted. "Now, last time I checked, my turn just began."

_All Mai and I can do for the moment is try to avoid Dartz's attacks,_ Yami thought, looking at Mai's four face down cards. _But maybe the card Pegasus gave me can help defeat his Orichalcos Shunoros, along with his Orichalcos Dexia and Orichalcos Aristeros. But I have to draw it first, and I don't have much time. I may have 2800 LP left, but that's nothing since Shunoros still has 23700 atk points remaining. Mai is in even worse condition. With only 900 LP left and no cards in her hand, Dartz can wipe her out with a single blow!_

"First, I'll activate my Card of Sanctity magic card!" Yami announced. "Now all three of us must draw until we are holding six cards in our hands." _I didn't get the card Pegasus gave me, but hopefully THESE will help._ "Next, I'll summon my Celtic Guardian to the field in defense mode!"

As Celtic Guardian appears on the field (1200 def), Yami holds up two more cards. "I'll place two cards face down on the field and end my turn. Your move, Dartz!"

"And you know what _that_ means, pharaoh." Dartz replied. "Since I have three monsters on the field, I automatically gain another 1500 LP thanks to my Orichalcos Deuteros." (Dartz's LP: 20500)

"I'm aware of that." Yami said angrily. "Get on with it!"

"And then there's my Orichalcos Dexia and my Orichalcos Shunoros." Dartz said. "Your Celtic Guardian cannot be destroyed by a monster with 1900 atk or more, but my Orichalcos Dexia will take care of that problem, since its atk is always 300 pts higher than whatever monster it is attacking."

Soul World

"I knew there was a warmhearted person in there," Valon said as Joey finished tell how his Orichalcos duel with Mai ended. "The two of you have longer history than I thought. I didn't even think about the possibility that this wasn't even the first time when you were willing to die for her. You were burned alive for Mai!"

"And I survived, due to my feelings for her." Joey replied, recalling when he was burned by the Winged Dragon of Ra and telling Valon about it. "But I must say, when the seal shrank around us, it was definitely a first when I looked into her eyes and saw that she was willing to die for _me."_

"With the condition you were in? You were practically a walking corpse by the time you broke the Orichalcos spell over her. Mai may be egotistical, but she knows when she's made a mistake." Valon stated. "And in this case, a _grave_ mistake. I was almost positive that you wouldn't be able to take it if Mai lost her soul to the Orichalcos, but you were dead wrong in thinking that she would take it just fine if you lost _your_ soul to the Orichalcos. From what you told me, Mai had to have looked like she was just stabbed in the heart many, many times when she lost you. When the seal shrank around the two of you, both of you were thinking the same thing: for the other to be safe, and nothing more. It's clear that her feelings toward you are very strong, and they finally showed themselves during those moments when Mai held you in her arms. But I understand why you shoved her out. The seal might not have taken both of your souls, and Mai was willing to take that chance, but you were not."

"When Mai held me in her arms, I was already limp from the injuries I took." Joey said. "And when Mai wrapped her arms around me to try to keep me safe, I could barely even keep my eyes open. But it wasn't because of the injuries, it was because I now knew Mai _did_ care about me, and was trying to stop the seal from taking my soul."

"You know, of all the Orichalcos duels I've ever fought, there have never once been an incident where the seal shrank around the losing opponent and the winner of the duel was still in the seal until now." Valon said, thinking. "Why didn't Mai try to pull you out? Remember, the seal thought she won, so that meant she could step out of the seal whenever she wanted. If she held on to you and stepped out of the seal, wouldn't that get you out as well?"

"You've got a good point there, Valon." Joey replied. "But given the circumstances, I don't blame Mai for not trying that. She was in too much pain seeing me in that state. All she wanted was to hold on to me at that moment."

"She still wants to," Valon said. "Why else would she be dueling Dartz right now?" Off Joey's confused look, he sighed, "We both fought for her, Wheeler. But we fought for two completely different people within the same person."

"That's true, Valon." Joey replied. "The Mai _you_ fought for was because you thought the two of you shared the same thing: being lonely and misunderstood, and feeling the same resentment and rejection. You cared about her _because_ she was messed up and mixed up, and _because_ there was a dark side in her eyes. It was because of her strength and her viciousness in putting other people down, as well as because she never succumbed to your charms, although I think _that_ was partially because of her feelings toward _me._ You were hoping for Mai to be proud of her flaws and let those flaws give her power. It would allow the two of you misfits to be together."

"The Mai _I_ fought for, however, is a completely different warrior." Joey continued. "My memories go back further than yours about her, and it kept track of the changes Mai went through in her life: both her changes in attitudes towards life, as well as the change in feelings towards _me._ This is then added to my fear of someone like you taking her away, leaving me with nothing. I care about Mai for her golden inner beauty and golden heart that she painstakingly hid from the rest of the world. I care deeply about her because I knew what everyone else's sight of her was a mere mask. I looked underneath that and saw the _real_ Mai, and I knew she is different than all the other people thought she is."

"The question is, while both of us fought for her, which one of us is _she_ fighting for?" Joey asked. "Because technically, you're right, Valon. You _also_ saw the real her, just a _different side_ of the real Mai."

"That's obvious, Wheeler. She's fighting for _you._ Mai needs you." Valon said, rolling his eyes. "We both tried to help Mai better understand herself, but after our Orichalcos duel ended, she made no attempt to try to prevent my soul from being absorbed by the seal."

"She was under the Orichalcos' spell at that time, Valon." Joey replied.

Valon smiled sadly. "She still was when the seal shrank around _you,_ Wheeler. And since she was the one who played the seal, the Orichalcos spell that controlled her was even stronger by that point since the seal was technically still in play at that moment. So why did she try to stop the seal from taking _your_ soul?"

"Mai and I go back longer than you, Valon." Joey replied. "She remembered our bond." _She probably remembered more than that,_ he thought, remembering himself dueling her and extracting the last of the Orichalcos magic from within Mai's heart.

"She realized that she needed you in her life, Wheeler." Valon corrected. "She has probably been fighting for you ever since you ended up in here, and it's clear she's not going to leave without you."

"It's a major change in Mai," Valon continued. "Like herself, I never fought for anything but power and glory until I met her. After that, I had hoped that the two of us could share our victories with each other."

"Mai never cared about anyone but herself before she met _me."_ Joey replied. "I knew there was a good person underneath her cold exterior. There were times when I saw signs of it, but they didn't fully appear until the lasts moments of my Orichalcos duel with her."

Joey looked down at the hundreds of other green bubbles floating beneath his bubble. "A part of me always knew she cared about me, which was confirmed in that duel. I just never thought that her feelings would be that strong. During Duelist Kingdom, Mai said that she had been pursued by many, many men. She even had marriage proposals from rich men looking for a trophy wife, as well as from movie stars looking for someone to hang on to their arms."

"I know. One such person was Jean Claude Magnum." Valon said. Off Joey's confused look, he continued, "It was during the trip to Dartz to receive the power of the Orichalcos that Mai told me very briefly about that encounter in Battle City with him. She didn't mention anything about _you,_ though."

"They were all idiots," Joey replied. "They dueled her like she was a prize to be won. They bought her gifts simply in the hopes of buying her favor. It's been that way for her for quite some time. You, on the other hand, were someone who did not. While you tested Mai with your charms, you also tried to help her. You only lost that duel against me because you were misguided due to the Orichalcos."

"You tried to help Mai as well, Wheeler." Valon pointed out. "It's clear she doesn't want the messed up side of her to stay inside her. Because of that side, she couldn't figure out what she really wanted. _That_ was one of the reasons why she fell into Dartz's trap. Mai needs your guidance. Like me, you reached out to her and expected virtually nothing in return. But unlike me, Mai reached back for you."

"You think she felt nothing when she saw you trapped in the body of one of the Mirror Knights?" Joey asked. "She didn't attack you with her Different Dimension Dragon because she didn't know if your soul would end up here again, or would it be destroyed forever. Obviously, she couldn't take that chance."

Valon shook his head in disgust. "Of all the Mirror Knights, I just _had_ to be the first one to get attacked, didn't I?" he said. "Regardless, I saw how much pain Mai was in when you tried to tell her that she had to attack you with Mirror Force Dragon. I saw it in her eyes, Wheeler. When she used her dragon's special ability to reflect the attack on all of us, I could see from Mai's eyes that she would have been unable to go on if that blast had killed you."

"I felt Mai's despair when she saw me like that too, Valon." Joey replied. "I guess Mai isn't used to having someone who cares about her for what she is and for her potential, not just someone who wants to hit on her."

"Exactly," Valon nodded. "That's why she's fighting for you. Remember, by the end of our Orichalcos duel, I admitted to Mai I understood why you meant so much to her. And after the Orichalcos duel between you and her, Mai realized it too. Even if she's fighting for both of us, I'm positive that I'm a distant second. Mai wouldn't care what happens to me, as long as _you_ are safe."

"I doubt that, Valon." Joey replied. "Even if you're right and Mai's feelings are much stronger towards _me,_ I know she would still care about _you._ You might have been misguided by the Orichalcos, but that didn't mean you didn't want to protect Mai. When she arrived at our duel, I knew right away that you were going to try to end the duel as quickly as possible. Due to the Orichalcos, you thought I was going to hurt her. I'm sure Mai understands your sacrifice now."

"The only way we'll know is when we're free, Wheeler." Valon answered, as their bubbles floated towards the Leviathan's eye. "And once that eye touches us, we'll be in the belly of the beast, and I don't know if there's any way out once we are in _there."_

"Mai was counting on me for a victory when I dueled you, Valon. I'm sure she knows what will happen if she can't achieve victory here." Joey replied. "I'm sure she's giving it her all, and I know she'll win this."

Dartz's Temple

"Now Orichalcos Shunoros, attack Ms. Valentine directly and bring her soul to me!" Dartz ordered. Orichalcos Shunoros gathers up energy from its body, then fires its green photon ring at Mai.


	35. Chapter 35

Wow, has it really been a year since this was updated? Sorry guys... I just post the chapters when the author gives them to me. We are sorry that you've had to wait this long for the next chapter... anyway, to say we're sorry, the author has given me 4 chapters to post right now, so you'll have more to read. Please remember to review!

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Chapter 35

"And as soon as your soul is mine, I'll put it to good use, by feeding it to the Great Leviathan!" Dartz announced, as the green photon ring approached Mai.

"You'll _never_ get it, Dartz!" Mai shouted. "I activate one of my face down cards: Silent Doom! This magic card allows me to bring any monster in my graveyard."

"I should thank you, Dartz, for playing your Battle After the Storm trap card, forcing all three of us to discard one card from our hands." Mai continued. "The card _I_ discarded was my Amazoness Swordswoman, so my Silent Doom card will bring her back in defense mode."

As Amazoness Swordswoman appears on the field (1600 def), Mai continued. "Now, I activate another one of my face down cards: Curse of Fiend! This magic card forces all monsters on the field to switch positions. It won't affect your Orichalcos Shunoros, Orichalcos Dexia, and Orichalcos Aristeros due to your Orichalcos Tritos, but it _will_ affect my Amazoness Swordswoman and the pharaoh's Celtic Guardian! Furthermore, your Orichalcos Tritos prevents magic and trap cards from affecting your monsters _only,_ not magic and trap cards affecting _all_ monsters, so your third layer can't destroy it!"

"Big deal, what do you intend to do?" Dartz taunted, as Amazoness Swordswoman and Celtic Guardian switched into attack mode.

"My Amazoness Swordswoman has a devastating ability, Dartz." Mai replied. "If attacked by a monster, the opponent takes all the damage. Your Orichalcos Shunoros's atk strength is 23700, whereas my Amazoness Swordswoman's atk strength is only 1500."

"You only have 20500 LP. And since your Orichalcos Tritos cannot negate the special abilities of monster cards, you'll lose 22200 LP as soon as your attack hits my monster!" Mai said in triumph. "Which means you lose, Dartz!"

"Wrong again, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. "I play this: the magic card Talent Suppression! By paying 500 LP, this card allows me to choose a monster on the field and prevent it from using its special abilities for one turn." Off Mai's horrified look, Dartz smiled evilly. "And that means you'll be the one losing LP after all, Ms. Valentine, so the duel is over for you!" (Dartz's LP: 20000)

"Not so fast, Dartz!" Yami shouted, as the photon ring approached Mai's monster. "I activate one of _my_ face down cards: Soul Shield! This trap card allows me to prevent a monster's attack from destroying another monster, as long as I pay half of my LP to activate it!" (Yami's LP: 1400)

"It also reduces all battle damage to 0 for this turn," Yami explained. "And since this trap card was used on Shunoros's attack and not on Shunoros itself, your Orichalcos Tritos can't negate it, so your Orichalcos Shunoros just lost 1500 atk points for nothing!"

Orichalcos Shunoros's photon ring dissipates in front of Mai's Amazoness Swordswoman, and its atk decreases to 22200. "In that case, I'll dismantle _your_ defense, pharaoh!" Dartz replied. "Your Celtic Guardian cannot be destroyed by a monster with 1900 atk points or more, but damage calculations still apply. Fortunately, I already attacked with Orichalcos Shunoros, so I have to attack you with Orichalcos Dexia instead."

"And remember, pharaoh, my Orichalcos Dexia's ability ensures that its atk strength is always 300 points higher than the monster it's attacking." Dartz reminded, as Dexia's atk increases from 500 to 1700, 300 points higher than Celtic Guardian's 1400 atk.

"Orichalcos Dexia, destroy his Celtic Guardian!" Dartz ordered. Orichalcos Dexia fires its energy beam, and Yami's monster is destroyed. (Yami's LP: 1100) Orichalcos Shunoros's atk decreases to 21000, losing the 1200 it gave to Orichalcos Dexia.

"I still have LP, Dartz!" Yami countered. "And the two of us stopped you once again from wiping us out!"

"That's true, but what's the point?" Dartz taunted. "Just take a look. The two of you are completely alone. Your friends are no longer able to support you, and the scoreboard doesn't exactly point in your favor."

Yami and Mai looked back to see Tristan and Tea still unconscious on the ground. "All you two have to do is forfeit, and you can join your friends on the other side. There is no need for this torment to continue, since all you can do is stall." Dartz continued.

_He's right,_ Mai thought. _His Orichalcos Shunoros still has 21000 atk points The pharaoh and I may have caused it to lose 8100 atk points already, but it isn't making the situation any easier._

_Dartz has 20000 LP, and we have no way of draining them,_ Yami thought. _With three virtually indestructible monsters, it is impossible for the two of us win this. Perhaps I can do more if I allow myself to let the Orichalcos take me to where my friends are._

"Pharaoh, don't you want to be with your friends?" Dartz asked. "They are lost without you, so don't turn away. All you have to do is place your hand over your deck and submit. Then you'll be free. Free to see your friends one last time before the rise of the Great Leviathan."

"The time has come for you to accept your _true_ destiny." Dartz continued, as Yami's eyes began to glow Orichalcos green. "You returned to Earth to pay for the crimes you once committed. You practically destroyed the world with your Shadow Games. So in order to compensate for your sins of the past, you must surrender your spirit so I can rebuild paradise!"

Almost in a trancelike state, Yami held his hand over his deck. "It's my fate."

"Exactly, pharaoh. Keep listening to the voice of reason within your head." Dartz continued.

As Yami's eyes continued to glow Orichalcos green, he felt like he was sinking underwater. He remembered Joey telling him that he'd fight with him in this endeavor, as well as Yugi pushing him out of the Seal of Orichalcos so his soul would be spared. Finally, he remembered Yugi, Joey, and Kaiba all falling to the Orichalcos.

"As for you, Ms. Valentine, you said it yourself. You wanted to see Joseph Wheeler once again. All you have to do it submit, and the Orichalcos will take you right to him. It's that simple." Dartz said, turning to Mai.

"You must also pay for the sins you did, Ms. Valentine. You are a heartless person, never caring about anyone but yourself, and always wanting more and more power and glory. You take pleasure in hurting others, both physically and emotionally. Even _you_ can't deny that. But it's not too late for such sins to be purged from your body. Just surrender your soul and allow me to rebuild paradise."

"Joseph Wheeler is waiting for you on the other side, Ms. Valentine." Dartz continued, as Mai's eyes also began to glow Orichalcos green. "You know how much you want to be with him. I'm giving you that opportunity."

Turing into a near trancelike state, Mai also held her hand over her deck. "It's my fault what happened to Joey, I have to do the right thing."

"You're almost there, Ms. Valentine." Dartz said. "Just put your hand over it, and you can see Joseph Wheeler again."

As Mai's eyes continued to glow Orichalcos green, she felt like she was falling into the abyss. She remembered Valon telling her that he finally understood why Joey meant so much to her. She remembered Joey telling her that she was one the best duelists he had ever known, and was confident that she would make the right decision in the end, as well as him pushing her out the seal so her soul would be spared. She remembered Joey challenging her to that Orichalcos duel that extracted the last of the Orichalcos magic from within her and allowing her to wield his legendary dragon. Finally, she remembered losing Joey to the Orichalcos, and her own vow that she would never stop fighting for him.

"This time has come. Sacred seal, encircle the pharaoh and Ms. Valentine!" Dartz ordered. The Seal of Orichalcos lights up, then began to shrink.

As it reached the halfway point, it split itself into two seals, each continuing to shrink around Yami and Mai. "Just relax," Dartz said. "Let the darkness spread. Look deep into your hearts and set your spirits free."

But suddenly, the Millennium Puzzle began to glow, and a column of golden light formed around Yami. When the seal touched it, it is immediately repelled.

"This is not possible!" Dartz exclaimed, as the seal expanded around the duel once again. _"Nobody_ has the power to overcome the Orichalcos!"

As the golden light continued to shine around Yami, the images of his friends appeared around him: Yugi, Tristan, Tea, Kaiba, Mokuba, Duke, Rebecca, Alister, Rafael, Ironheart and Chris.

"What's going on? The seal should have taken your soul! How did you stop it?" Dartz demanded.

"You forced me to gaze deep into my heart, thinking that I would only find darkness. You were wrong. It is filled with the light of friendship, and the Orichalcos cannot take that away!" Yami shouted, as the images disappear into the golden column.

"You thought I was nothing, that I was completely alone, but you were wrong. I should thank you. You reminded me that my friends will always be with me. And together, we _will_ defeat you!" Yami continued.

Dartz clutched his fist in anger. "Very well then, pharaoh! But I _will_ still get something out of this, as Ms. Valentine is about to lose _her_ soul!" He gestured to Mai, where the seal is only a few feet away from her.

"Mai!" Yami cried, as tears slid down Mai's cheeks.

But to Yami and Dartz's astonishment, when Mai's tears hit the ground, a column of even brighter light formed around her. And when the seal touched it, it is also repelled.

"_What!_ How did _you_ overcome the power of the Orichalcos?" Dartz demanded, as the seal expanded around the duel. "You don't even wield magic! You _can't_ withstand such a thing!"

As the bright light shined around Mai, the images of Joey and Valon appeared by her side.

"What's happening?" Dartz demanded. "How did _you_ stop the Seal of Orichalcos from taking your soul?"

"You thought deep in my heart, I was nothing more than pure evil. You were dead wrong, Dartz!" Mai shouted. "I may not have as warm of an exterior as others, but my interior is not filled with anger and despair!"

"You thought I had nothing, didn't you? Wrong! I've _always_ had someone. There were those who tried to help me," Mai continued, gesturing to Valon.

"And those who love me for the person I am," Mai said, gesturing to Joey. "It was from Joey that I learned that he cared for me, that he was the one who helped me see my real self! It was Joey who inspired me to fight on against all odds! I swore an oath that I would fight for him the moment I lost him, and I've come too far just to be beaten by _you!"_

_Thank you Joey,_ Mai mentally whispered. _You were right. Our bond IS stronger than the Orichalcos. And since it saved me, I'll save you! Now I understand why I didn't feel anything when I dueled against duelists from all over America. I was dueling for shallow things. But in my duel with you in which you played the Seal of Orichalcos and my duel with Rafael, I fought for the people I truly cared for, and I DO feel stronger!_

The shining bright light around Mai faded, as did the images of Joey and Valon. "And now that I know that Joey is still with me, we'll defeat you together!" Mai shouted. "Dartz, this all ends _right now!"_


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Soul World

"Did you feel that?" Valon asked. "I could have sworn I just felt Mai's presence."

"That feeling is far stronger in me, Valon." Joey replied, still trapped in a bubble like Valon. "Something happened to Mai during those moments. Remember, we both saw another bubble start to appear. This meant that another soul was about to join us. But suddenly, that bubble disappeared without warning. It was almost like the seal was shrinking around someone, and that person somehow stopped the seal."

"You think Mai stopped the Seal of Orichalcos from taking her soul? But how?" Valon asked, incredulous. "In case you've forgotten, once your LP hits 0 the seal will shrink around you, and the process cannot be stopped! In_ your_ case, the seal shrank around you because you were too badly injured to fight on, and while Mai held on to you and tried to keep you safe, she couldn't stop the seal either!"

"Mai's LP must not have dropped to 0 when the Seal of Orichalcos shrank around her then," Joey said, thinking.

"So what are you saying, Wheeler? She forfeited?" Valon asked. "That's not possible, and you know it. From what you told me about the last moments of your Orichalcos duel with her, it's clear that when you ended up in here with me, Mai would have given anything to bring you back. Now, under normal conditions, you're right. Mai would have forfeited once she knew the situation became too bleak."

"But in _this_ case, I don't see that happening even if she knew that winning simply wasn't possible," Valon continued. "Mai is fighting for you, Wheeler. If she forfeited, she would realize that this would automatically mean that all she fought for would have been for nothing!"

"That's true, Valon. But you don't seem to see what Dartz is capable of." Joey said. "Remember, we both heard how you, Alister, and Rafael ended up working for him when we were still on the field, trapped in the bodies of Dartz's Mirror Knights."

"And I'm still angry that Dartz burned down my orphanage and framed me for it," Valon replied. "But I don't quite see your point, Wheeler."

"Dartz has a way with words that will fuel a person with rage, fury, and despair," Joey answered. "If the seal shrank around Mai and her LP were not at 0, then it must have been Dartz that did something to make Mai think that the situation is hopeless for her. Dartz must have corrupted her into thinking that she could do more for us by surrendering. You and I both know just how corruptive the power of the Orichalcos is, Valon, so I don't blame Mai if she was on the verge of forfeiting due to Dartz's words. If so, it would explain the reason why the Seal of Orichalcos began to shrink around her."

"And the sudden surge the two of us felt? How do you explain _that,_ Wheeler?" Valon asked.

Joey paused for a moment. "Even when Mai was under the Orichalcos influence, I knew deep inside her, she valued our friendship. Don't forget, I brought that out of her during our Orichalcos duel at the cost of my own soul," he replied. "In that duel, I told her I knew she would end up making the right decision. Mai must have remembered that when the seal shrank around her."

"You think that stopped the seal from taking her soul? I know the bond between you and her is strong, Wheeler, but if it _did_ stop the seal from taking Mai's soul, then why didn't it succeed in stopping the seal from taking your soul during _your_ duel with Mai?" Valon asked.

Joey sighed. "Valon, the reality is that no one really knows that. Remember I told you that I pushed her out of the seal at the last moment. Who knows? Maybe our bond _could_ have stopped the seal. But I needed to make sure Mai would be safe in the end and I couldn't take that chance. Even if I knew back then that there was a chance that our bond could stop the seal, I still would have pushed Mai out."

"Why?" Valon asked. "If you knew that then that meant _both_ of you would have been safe!"

"That's true, but even if I knew that there was a chance for Mai and I to _both_ walk out of the seal, the fact remains that there's also a chance that our bond _couldn't_ stop the seal from taking a soul. Now, if _that_ was true and I let Mai continue to hold me in her arms, then there's a chance the seal could have taken _both_ of our souls. Remember, the seal shrank around _me,_ which meant Mai could step out of the seal whenever she wanted to. It's definitely possible that the seal would only take _my_ soul, but I couldn't risk Mai's soul in that gamble. And that is why I pushed her out."

"In short, Valon," Joey continued, "As long as there was _any_ chance of Mai's soul being put at risk during that duel, I would have pushed her out of the seal. I didn't care what happened to myself, as long as Mai's soul remained safe."

"I understand, Wheeler." Valon replied. "Now tell me, would the bond between you and Mai have stopped the seal if you _didn't_ push Mai out?"

Joey sighed. "I honestly don't know, Valon. Remember, when Mai was holding in her arms, the angry red glare in her eyes was gone, but the Seal of Orichalcos remained on her forehead. It very little control over her by that moment, if any at all, but enough of the Orichalcos magic remained inside her for the seal to remain on the field and shrink around me."

"All I can say is this: if there weren't any Orichalcos magic within Mai at that moment and the seal shrank around us, it would greatly increase the chances of preventing the seal from leaving with a soul, but there are still no guarantees." Joey continued.

"So Mai remembered the bond between you and her and it stopped the seal from taking her soul," Valon replied. "That only explains the surge of energy _she_ felt, not the one _you_ felt, Wheeler."

_It's because after I purified her and extracted the remaining Orichalcos magic from within her heart, our strengths were fused together, _Joey thought. _But I can't tell Valon about this yet. I don't want Valon to know that I pushed Mai beyond her dueling limits and reduced her to a state of terrible injuries and total collapse, even though it was for her own good and it was merely an illusion._

"I guess it's because our bond was so strong that I felt her presence even in here, Valon." Joey replied.

"Then why did _I_ feel it?" Valon asked. "Granted it was much smaller than yours, but Mai and I never developed that kind of bond!"

"Valon, when you were under the influence of Dartz, didn't it ever occur to you that the Orichalcos was unable to control as well as it wanted to?" Joey asked.

"What are you talking about, Wheeler?" Valon asked, confused.

"You stopped the duel between me and Mai in the Industrial Illusions building, remember? You were still under the Orichalcos spell back then. If you recall, Rafael tried to stop you from unlocking the seal, but you didn't listen." Joey said.

"Yes," Valon replied. "When you reduced Mai's LP to 450, it meant that one more attack on her LP and she would lose. But now I understand that you were trying to get the duel to end in a draw, preventing the seal from leaving with a soul."

"You didn't know that back then," Joey pointed out. "And neither did Rafael. He didn't try to stop the duel because he believed that a soul will be taken one way or another. But you couldn't stand it if it was _Mai's_ soul that got taken, so you jumped down from the balcony, unlocked the Seal of Orichalcos, and stopped the duel."

"Now, if Orichalcos had full control of you, then you would have continued to watch the duel from the balcony instead. I didn't pay that much attention back then, but now when I look back, I see that you had deep feelings for Mai too." Joey continued. "And because of those feelings, the Orichalcos spell over you got weakened."

"Even if those feelings _did_ weaken the Orichalcos control over me, it still doesn't explain why I felt Mai's presence within me that moment." Valon countered.

"Valon, like I said before, you tried to help Mai. Granted, you were guiding her in the wrong direction, but that's because _you_ were misguided." Joey replied. "You reached for her. It's possible that the surge you felt was Mai reaching back, telling you that she understood that you cared for her, as well as you challenging me to that Orichalcos duel in order to protect her because of your wrong impression of me."

Dartz's Temple

"I'm waiting, Ms. Valentine." Dartz said angrily, folding him arms. "All you have left on the field are two face down cards and your worthless Amazoness Swordswoman, so make a move!"

"My pleasure, Dartz!" Mai shouted. "First, I activate my Pot of Greed magic card, allowing me to draw twice!" As she looked at the cards she drew, her eyes widened.

_It's Joey's Flame Swordsman,_ she thought. _This was the last monster on his side of the field before I lost him to the Orichalcos. It was also the last monster on his side of the field before the purification duel ended._

Her thoughts then shifted to the helicopter ride from Kaiba's Alcatraz Duel Tower back to Domino City. _It was also the monster Joey chose as his Deckmaster. During that long trip, Joey told me about how he was trapped in the virtual world, fighting the Big 5 once again like Yugi, me, and him did back in Kaiba's virtual reality game._

_All he thought about was how to get out of there so he could save me from the Shadow Realm,_ Mai thought. Her eyes widened. _Wait! That's it! Joey told me about how he and Yugi defeated the Big 5 in that duel in the hopes to get Tristan's body back. It was from this card that defeated the Big 5's Five Headed Dragon, the very dragon that Yugi, Kaiba, Joey and I fought in Kaiba's virtual reality game. It can work again to defeat Dartz's Orichalcos Shunoros, Orichalcos Dexia, and Orichalcos Aristeros!_

"First I'll sacrifice my Amazoness Swordswoman," Mai announced, "This allows me to summon Flame Swordsman!" As the 1800 atk point monster appeared on the field, she continued, "Next, I activate Monster Reborn, and I'll use my magic card to bring back the pharaoh's Dark Magician that he sacrificed in order to summon his Black Luster Soldier!"

Dark Magician appeared on the field, with an attack of 2500. "Now," Mai shouted, "I play my Polymerization magic card! This allows me to fuse Dark Magician and Flame Swordsman together to form Dark Flare Knight!"

As Dark Flare Knight (2200 atk) appeared on the field, Yami smiled. This was the exact same tactic he and Joey used to defeat the Big 5's Five Headed Dragon in the virtual world.

"Next, I reveal one of my face down cards: Grave Arm! This magic card allows me to destroy a monster on the field right away!" Mai announced.

"So what?" Dartz countered. "You can't destroy any of my monsters anyway, since my Orichalcos Tritos will automatically destroy your magic card!"

"That's why I'm using it on my Dark Flare Knight instead, Dartz!" Mai replied. "Now, when Dark Flare Knight is destroyed, its special ability is activated, allowing me to summon Mirage Knight to the field!"

"Your new knight only has 2800 atk points," Dartz said, as the golden knight appeared on the field. "Did you forget that my Orichalcos Shunoros has _21000_ atk points?"

"I know, and that's why I'll also play _these_ two magic cards: Scapegoat and United We Stand!" Mai shouted, as four Scapegoat tokens (0 def) appeared on the field. "United We Stand allows the monster equipped to it to gain 800 atk points for every monster on the field, including itself, so with 5 monsters, my Mirage Knight now gains 4000 atk points!"

"That won't help, Ms. Valentine." Dartz said, as Mirage Knight's atk increased to 6800. "Did you forget that Orichalcos Aristeros will intercept all of your attacks no matter which one of my monsters you attack?"

"I didn't forget Dartz!" Mai smiled. "And while your Orichalcos Aristeros's defense strength is always 300 points higher than the monster that attacks it, that is only partially true."

"Every time your Orichalcos Aristeros's defense strength increases, your Orichalcos Shunoros's atk strength decreases because Aristeros has to borrow the defense points of Shunoros's attack points." Mai continued. "And that is its weakness: if I can summon a monster that has more atk points than your Orichalcos Shunoros, then your Orichalcos Aristeros will be unable to successfully block it!"

"Mirage Knight, launch your attack!" Mai ordered.

"That won't work, Ms. Valentine!" Dartz replied. "Your Mirage Knight can only attack my Orichalcos Aristeros, and its atk is too low for that! Not to mention the fact that my Orichalcos Shunoros in the rear row, behind Orichalcos Dexia and Orichalcos Aristeros! This means you can't attack it, but it can attack _you!"_

"That's why I now activate my last face down card: Attack Guidance Barrier! This trap can only be activated when a monster attacks, and allows me to change the target to a different monster and raise its strength by 600!" Mai said. "When you were explaining how Orichalcos Shunoros, Orichalcos Dexia, and Orichalcos Aristeros worked, you said that Orichalcos Shunoros cannot be destroyed as long as Orichalcos Dexia and Orichalcos Aristeros are on the field, but you didn't say Orichalcos Shunoros cannot be _attacked._ And thanks to the effects of Attack Guidance Barrier, I can attack a monster on your side of the field _regardless_ of whether it's in the back row or front row! Finally, your Orichalcos Tritos only prevents our magic and trap cards from _negatively_ affecting your monsters, not _positively_ affecting your monsters, so it can't destroy my Attack Guidance Barrier!"

"My Attack Guidance Barrier will be used on my Mirage Knight, and its new target will now be Orichalcos Shunoros!" Mai said, as Mirage Knight immediately moved away from Orichalcos Aristeros and headed for Orichalcos Shunoros instead, and Orichalcos Shunoros's atk is increased to 21600 by Attack Guidance Barrier's effect.

"Orichalcos Aristeros, intercept the attack!" Dartz ordered, as Orichalcos Aristeros began to move between Mirage Knight and Orichalcos Shunoros.

"Now it's time for me to activate Mirage Knights special ability!" Mai shouted. "It can absorb the atk points of the monster its attacking, so now it gains another 21600 atk points!"

Mirage Knight's atk strength increases from 6800 to 28400. "Your Orichalcos Aristeros's defense strength can only be 300 points greater than Mirage Knight's atk strength if Orichalcos Shunoros's atk strength is at least 28700." Mai observed. "Since that is not the case, your Orichalcos Aristeros's defense can reach no higher than 21600, allowing my Mirage Knight to destroy it!"

"You _can't!"_ Dartz protested.

"It's too late for that, Dartz!" Mai shouted in triumph.

"In case you've forgotten, I also have one last face down card, Dartz! And now it's time for me to reveal it: Meteorain!" Yami shouted, activating his face down card. "This trap card allows battle damage to be done if a monster's attack is greater than another monster's defense, so I'll use it on Mirage Knight!"

Mirage Knight continues its attack. Orichalcos Aristeros immediately comes in and intercepts it, its defense immediately rising. But its defense stopped rising at 21600 as Orichalcos Shunoros's attack decreased to 0, unable to give anymore to Orichalcos Aristeros.

"_MIRAGE KNIGHT, DESTOY HIS ORICHALCOS ARISTEROS!"_ Mai shouted, as Mirage Knight swung its sword, engulfing Dartz's side of the field in a flash of bright light.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

As the light from Mirage Knight's attack subsided, Orichalcos Aristeros is destroyed. And due to Yami's Meteorain trap card's effect, Dartz takes 6800 points of damage, bringing his LP down to 13200.

"Well done, Ms. Valentine." Dartz observed. "Too bad for you, Mirage Knight only stays in play for one turn. So as soon as it is my turn again, your knight will be removed from the game. And in case you've forgotten, I still have all three layers of the Orichalcos, so your attack changed nothing."

_There's nothing more I can do for the rest of the turn,_ Mai thought. _The attack may have done 6800 points of damage to Dartz, but he still has 13200 remaining. I, on the other hand, only have 900 LP remaining. All I can do now is hope that the pharaoh can continue what I started._ "I end my turn, Dartz!" she shouted.

"All right Dartz, my move!" Yami shouted, drawing his card. _I have to make this count,_ he thought. _I only have 1100 LP left. And despite the fact that Mai has already forced his Orichalcos Shunoros's attack down to 0, it doesn't mean it is no longer a threat. Dartz's monsters all seem to have a way to look harmless, but are all very dangerous in the end._

As he drew the card, a surge of energy went through Yami, causing him to gasp. _It's the card Pegasus gave me. I can feel it!_

"Well? Get on with it, pharaoh!" Dartz seethed angrily.

"Do you know what's in my hand, Dartz?" Yami shouted. "It is the key that will unlock the secret of the legendary dragons!"

"What are you talking about, pharaoh?" Mai asked, confused. "I thought the secret was simply combining the legendary dragons with others cards and that's it! How is _that_ card going to help?"

"Just watch, Mai." Yami replied. "Now, I play Legend of Heart!" An inferno swept across the field, as three legendary swords materialize.

Yami then turned to Mai. "Mai, I don't have any monsters to sacrifice on my side of the field. I'll need yours in order to make this work."

Mai nodded in understanding. "If it'll defeat Dartz, the price will be worth it in the end, pharaoh. Just do what you have to do."

Yami nodded. "I give up 1000 LP, and remove Mirage Knight and all four Scapegoat tokens from the field!" As Mirage Knight, the four Scapegoat tokens, along with Mai's United We Stand magic card disappeared from the field, Yami and Mai's duel disks immediately light up. (Yami's LP: 100)

"This allows me to summon Timaeus, Critius, and Hermos in their _true_ forms!" Yami shouted, as the three legendary dragons appear on the field. The three legendary dragons roar at Dartz, then fly into the clouds.

"_FINALLY, AFTET TEN MILLENIA IN CAPTIVITY, WE HAVE BEEN SET FREE!"_ a voice shouted from above.

"No! Not them!" Dartz exclaimed.

"Pharaoh, what's happening?" Mai asked, alarmed.

At this point, three beams of lightning flashes before them, as the legendary knights emerge from the bright flash of light.

"I am he who was named Timaeus!" the green knight shouted, raising his sword.

"I am Sir Critius!" the blue knight announced, also raising his sword.

"I am known as Sir Hermos!" the red knight shouted, raising his sword along with Timaeus and Critius.

"_In the name of Atlantis, we have been reborn!"_ the three knights shouted, as their swords cross (2800 atk each).

Mai gasped at the sight of the three legendary knights. _Hermos looks just like a knight in shining armor form of Joey,_ she thought. _I always DID think of Joey as a fanatic, but now I have something even better to compare him to._

"I thought I took care of the three of you _centuries_ ago!" Dartz shouted angrily.

Timaeus, Critius, and Hermos all raised their swords and struck the ground, sending shocks waves through the field. As the shockwaves subsided, the Seal of Orichalcos, Orichalcos Deuteros, and Orichalcos Tritos are destroyed.

"How dare you destroy the sacred seal!" Dartz seethed furiously, as the seal faded from Orichalcos Dexia, reducing its atk to 0 again. The seal also faded from Orichalcos Shunoros, but its atk strength remained the same since Mai had already reduced its atk to 0 with Mirage Knight.

"Your powers of darkness is useless in our presence!" Hermos shouted. "Or have you forgotten our last encounter?"

"I certainly have not!" Timaeus said, pointing to his scarred eye. "And I have a score to settle with you!"

Dartz clenched his fist in frustration. "You've changed _nothing,_ pharaoh! The legendary knights may be powerful, but I am _still_ the stronger one here!"

"My knights will be the judge of that, Dartz!" Yami shouted, as the three legendary knights assume their battle positions on the field.

To everyone's surprise, however, only Timaeus and Critius stayed on Yami's side of the field. Hermos assumed its battle position on Mai's side of the field instead.

Mai's eyes watered up. _It almost feels like Joey is here again,_ she thought, looking at Hermos. _Just looking at Hermos is like seeing Joey trying to protect me from the Orichalcos, just like he did in the empty lot when I lost him._

At this point, Hermos turned around and smiled at Mai. "Deep down, I already knew you would choose this path Mai. Now I finally understand what Joey saw in you. You may have a hard exterior, but you every bit as caring as Joey said you are. And I know your bond with him is now stronger than ever before. It is the reason why you were able to overcome the power of the Orichalcos."

"The time has come to rid the field of your monsters, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "Legendary Knight Timaeus, destroy his Orichalcos Dexia! And with Orichalcos Aristeros gone, your Orichalcos Dexia has no way to protect itself this time!"

Timaeus flies up and launches its attack, and Orichalcos Dexia is destroyed, causing another 2800 points of damage to Dartz. (Dartz's LP: 10400)

"Well? What are you waiting for, pharaoh? Destroy his last monster with Legendary Knight Critius!" Mai exclaimed.

Yami smiled at her. "Mai, _you_ were the one who rendered his Orichalcos Shunoros, Orichalcos Dexia, and Orichalcos Aristeros useless in the first place, not me. I thought you would like to have the honor of making such a move."

"Here's how it works," Yami continued. "The Legend of Heart has another effect if one of the Legendary Knights is not on my side of the field. By paying 500 LP, that legendary knight can attack despite the fact it is still my turn."

"Go ahead, pharaoh!" Dartz challenged. "And as soon as you pay those 500 LP, your soul will be mine considering how you have only 100 LP left!"

To Dartz and Mai's surprise, Yami chuckled. "You weren't listening, Dartz. Hermos is on _Mai's_ side of the field, so _she_ will be the one who needs to pay 500 LP, not me. And that will work just fine, since she still has 900 LP remaining!"

"Now Mai, if you'll do the honors," Yami announced, gesturing to Hermos.

Mai smiled. "My pleasure, pharaoh. I sacrifice 500 LP so Legendary Knight Hermos can attack!" (Mai's LP: 400)

"Hold on one second, Mai." Yami cut in. "I activate my magic card: Brave Attack! Under normal conditions, this card would combine the attack strength of all face up attack position monsters on the field to destroy one monster. Then, when the turn is over, all of the monsters that participated in the attack are destroyed."

"What! Why are you doing _that, _pharaoh? That'll destroy the legendary knights!" Mai protested.

Yami smiled. "With the three legendary knights, we are no longer under normal circumstances, Mai. In _this_ situation, it will simply add the attack points of Timaeus and Critius to Hermos for this turn."

Mai nodded in understanding. "Legendary Knight Hermos, absorb the attack power of Legendary Knight Timaeus and Legendary Knight Critius!" she shouted.

Timaeus and Critius both cross swords, and Hermos raised his legendary sword also. Waves of energy flow from Timaeus and Critius's legendary swords, which are then absorbed into Hermos's legendary sword, increasing its attack to 8400.

"Dartz, this one is for Joey!" Mai shouted, as the image of Joey appeared beside her again. "He had protected me against the darkness, even when nobody else would! He fought by my side the entire time, even when I didn't realize it! He gave his life for me, and it was from his sacrifice that brought me to where I am now! Above all, Joey saw the _real_ me, something that I didn't understand until now! You took the boy I loved away from me, and this attack will be the beginning of what I came here to do: freeing Joey from the Orichalcos just like he freed me!"

Legendary Knight Hermos's sword lit up, gleaming with energy. But it wasn't shining from the combined strength of Hermos, Critius, and Timaeus only, it was also shining from the bond between Mai and Joey.

"_LEGENDARY KNIGHT HERMOS, DESTROY HIS ORICHALCOS SHUNOROS!"_ Mai ordered. Legendary Knight Hermos fires its beam of energy into Orichalcos Shunoros, engulfing the entire room in a flash of blinding light.


	38. Chapter 38

Once again, we are sorry that you've had to wait this long and hope these past 4 chapters make up for it somehow. Please Read and Review! Many thanks to the true author, Ragnarok, for allowing his story to be posted up here.

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Chapter 38

Soul World

"Where is that light coming from?" Valon asked, confused. "One minute you were insisting that Mai reached back for me and then this blinding light appears! What is going on here, Wheeler?"

"It's coming from Mai, Valon." Joey replied, looking at the giant ball of shining light. "As you recall, just a few minutes ago you and I both felt a surge of energy go through us, and we both concluded that it from Mai. While neither of us knows for sure, we both figured that it was because Mai was able to repel the Seal of Orichalcos from shrinking around her. If that was true, then her inner strength must have been greatly enhanced afterwards."

"That doesn't explain the ball of light that suddenly appeared out of nowhere, Wheeler!" Valon countered.

"If you recall, Pegasus said that the three legendary dragons are really three legendary knights. If restored to their true forms, it will release a power strong enough to defeat Dartz." Joey explained.

Valon rolled his eyes. "I heard what Pegasus said, Wheeler. But in case you've forgotten, Mai is not the one who has that card in her deck. Even if what Pegasus was true and the legendary knights really _did_ get released, it would have to be the pharaoh who released them."

"What are you getting at, Valon?" Joey asked.

"You said that the ball of energy that suddenly appeared here was coming from Mai." Valon replied. "Now, unless you tell me Mai has something in her deck that even stronger than the legendary knights, that bright light had to have come from something else."

_Oh it is indeed from Mai,_ Joey thought. _I felt her presence from my heart just a second ago. That purification process must have done more for her than I thought._

"Trust me, Valon." Joey said. "I know it's from her. I felt it."

"Since you two have such a strong bond, I'll take your word for it." Valon replied, nodding. "But I still don't see how she made it happen."

"That's irrelevant," Joey said. "The important thing is that Mai is still in the duel. I knew the strength of her willpower would keep her safe."

Valon rolled his eyes. "That's obvious, Wheeler. Mai's willpower is being driven by _you._ As long as you're still in here, she's going to keep fighting for you."

"Valon, haven't you realized by now that Mai is fighting for _both_ of us? So she may put me ahead of you. Do you _really_ think she is going to leave knowing that you are still trapped in here?" Joey asked.

"You don't get it, Wheeler." Valon replied. "Nothing else matters to Mai at this moment except you. From what you told me regarding your Orichalcos duel with her, it's clear that the moment she lost you to the Orichalcos, she was willing to give anything to bring you back. And if it could be done, then no sacrifice would be too great."

"Valon, I know that certain sacrifices need to be made in order to achieve a greater good, but I also know that Mai simply _will not_ sacrifice _you_ just to free _me."_ Joey insisted. "We both know that from Mai's past, she had sacrificed others for her own goals."

"I'm aware," Valon replied. "I also know that when Mai lost you, she realized the selfishness of her ways. Mai must have realized that when she was under the influence of the Orichalcos, she sacrificed both of us for her own selfish goals. Now she's here to set things right."

"Exactly," Joey nodded. "Mai isn't fighting for herself, but even you have to admit she is fighting for more than just me."

"That may be," Valon reasoned. "But I don't quite see what else is driving her at this moment besides her feelings toward you, Wheeler."

"That's not going to matter soon," Joey replied. "Since that bright ball of light came from Mai, then it meant that Dartz was on the receiving end of that blow, which means he is losing control of the duel."

"Tell that to _him,_ Wheeler." Valon replied, pointing to a spot behind Joey's bubble.

"What are you talking about, Valon?" Joey asked, turning around to look behind him…to see a giant green serpent approaching them.

"What _is_ that thing?" Joey exclaimed, looking at the serpent.

"Well as its looks imply, it's a giant serpent, Wheeler." Valon replied, as the serpent flew past them, towards the Leviathan's eye. "What confuses me is fact that the serpent didn't try to kill us."

"That's for the Leviathan to do, Valon." Joey said. "However, I too am curious. If the serpent isn't here to kill us, what is it here for?"

"I'm not sure," Valon said. Suddenly his eyes widened. "Wait! You don't think it had something to do with that bright ball of light we just saw, do you?"

"Well, we didn't see the serpent before the bright ball of light, so I'm guessing that the two events are related." Joey replied. "But we both know that the serpent is Dartz's, so whatever is about to happen, it can't be good."

At this point, a vortex began to open, and the giant green serpent flew into it.

Dartz's Temple

As the bright light from Hermos's attack subsided, the giant statue of Orichalcos Shunoros cracked. Dartz loses another 8400 LP, bringing him down to 2000.

"Well Dartz, it appears the field is almost even now." Mai observed. "But you will only last one more turn. After all, the pharaoh and I have stripped away 18000 of your LP in only a single turn."

"And now, you no longer have the power of the Orichalcos to help you. And without the three layers, no monsters of yours can receive the 500 atk point power up, you can no longer gain LP, and our magic and trap cards can affect your monsters once again!" Yami added. "Not to mention the fact that the two of us still have our Legendary Knights! You, on the other hand, are completely defenseless!"

Dartz laughed, as his Orichalcos Shunoros shattered into pieces. "Is that a fact, pharaoh? You and Ms. Valentine should know by now that nothing is really what it seems to be."

"Try us, Dartz!" Yami challenged. "Your move!"

"And now you'll see what I mean!" Dartz announced. "First, I play my Soul Charge magic card. Now at a cost of 500 LP per monster, I can revive as many monsters from the graveyard as I wish, so I choose to revive my three Orichalcos Malevolences!" (Dartz's LP: 500)

"Looks like you are admitting defeat, Dartz!" Mai observed, as the three giant beasts of fire reappear on the field. "Those monsters only have 1500 atk points each, too weak for our knights! Not to mention the fact since they were brought back from the effects of Soul Charge, they can't attack this turn! And soon as we attack them next turn, the duel will be over for you!"

"That's what _you_ think, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied, as the pieces of his Orichalcos Shunoros burst into flames, then disappeared from the field. "Didn't it ever occur to you that Orichalcos Shunoros has a special ability as well?"

"What are you up to, Dartz?" Mai demanded, as a vortex appeared just in front and above him on the field.

"Just take a look, Ms. Valentine." Dartz said, pointing to the vortex. Yami and Mai looked up at the vortex and gasped.

Inside the vortex, a giant green serpent, who's size is even bigger than Orichalcos Shunoros, appeared in it.

"What _is_ that thing?" Yami demanded. "And how did you create it, Dartz?"

Dartz laughed. "As you know, my Orichalcos Shunoros's attack strength all came from the damage absorbed by my Orichalcos Kyutora. Its own attack strength is 0, and that is reason why every time it attacks, its attack strength goes down."

"It is also the reason why every time Orichalcos Dexia attacks or Orichalcos Aristeros defends, Orichalcos Shunoros's attack strength goes down." Yami said. "What's your point, Dartz?"

"Didn't it ever occur to you that if you two could hold off Orichalcos Shunoros long enough, its attack would eventually reach 0?" Dartz replied. Off Yami and Mai's looks, he continued, "And _that_ is when Orichalcos Shunoros's special ability kicks in. For the moment Orichalcos Shunoros's attack reaches 0 or is destroyed, my Divine Serpent is born! Technically, Ms. Valentine already made that possible when she destroyed my Orichalcos Aristeros with Mirage Knight. The only reason why I couldn't summon my Divine Serpent at that moment before you summoned your Legendary Knights is because it wasn't my turn yet, pharaoh."

"So _that's_ why you weren't worried about losing your Orichalcos Shunoros," Mai realized. "You had _another_ powerful monster that your could summon to the field right away even if we _succeeded_ in destroying your giant statue!"

"Exactly, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. "Of course, there is a price to pay for summoning the Divine Serpent. First, before drawing, I must send every card in my hand to the graveyard. After that, I'm required to give up every single one of my LP." (Dartz's LP: 0)

"Then the duel is over! You lose, Dartz!" Mai shouted.

"Don't you ever get tired of being wrong, Ms. Valentine?" Dartz said. "That is only true under normal circumstances. However, as long as my Divine Serpent remains on the field, the duel will continue and I remain in the game. But if you two somehow succeed in destroying it, you win." The Divine Serpent's eyes light up in an angry yellow, then roars at Yami and Mai (∞ atk).

"Its strength is infinite!" Yami observed, horrified.

"And you know what _that_ means," Dartz replied, drawing his card. "There is no monster in either of your decks that can stand up to its power! And as soon as it destroys your Legendary Knights, your souls will belong to me!"

"Every monster that ever existed has a weakness, Dartz!" Yami countered. "We _will_ locate yours! Now finish your move!"

"Of course," Dartz replied. "The good news for you is the fact that my Divine Serpent cannot attack on the same turn it is summoned, so I'll just play this: the magic card Divine Serpent Destructor Force! This magic card can only be used on my Divine Serpent. And as long as my Divine Serpent is on the field, its effects will continue to help my Divine Serpent."

"This first thing this card does is allow me to draw five cards." Dartz continued, drawing his cards. "Of course, both of you are _also_ allowed to draw one card due to its effect, not that it will help you anyway."

"We'll see about that, Dartz!" Yami shouted, drawing his card. His eyes widened. _It's Dark Magician Girl,_ he thought. _It was her who told me that both worlds are in danger, and I made a promise that I would restore peace. I won't go back on that promise!_

Mai's eyes also widened at the card she drew. _It's Harpy Dragon Warrior. This is the monster that represented me and Joey's combined strength,_ she thought. _It was also the exact same monster I used to defeat Rafael, and I know it will help again in defeating Dartz!_

"That will end my turn," Dartz ended. "Now let's see what _you've_ got, Ms. Valentine!"

"My pleasure, Dartz!" Mai shouted, drawing her card. "You put _way_ too much faith on your Divine Serpent, for now I will destroy it!"

Dartz laughed. "I'd like to see you try! I'm sure you'd be in for a surprise!"

"Let's find out then!" Mai countered. "Since my Sinister Serpent is in the graveyard from when I summoned Gilford the Lightning at the beginning of this duel, I think I'll bring it back!" As Sinister Serpent returned to her hand, Mai continued, "Next I'll rid the field of your Divine Serpent with the magic card: Tribute to the Doomed! This is another card courtesy of Joey, and it allows me to destroy any monster on the field I want as long as I discard one card from my hand!"

"I discard my Sinister Serpent from my hand. Now say goodbye to your Divine Serpent!" Mai shouted, as bandages rose up from the ground and into the vortex.

But to Mai's surprise, Divine Serpent remained floating in the vortex when the bandages disappeared. "What! But why didn't your Divine Serpent get destroyed?" Mai demanded.

Dartz laughed. "My Divine Serpent cannot be destroyed that way, Ms. Valentine. You should know by now that all of my monsters have special abilities, and my Divine Serpent is no exception. Magic and trap cards are powerless in destroying it."

_I'm out of moves,_ Mai thought. _All I can hope now is that the pharaoh can think of something better._ "I'll place one card face down and end my turn."

Mai then turned to Yami. "Pharaoh, I really hate to admit this, but I don't see much of a way out this time. If his Divine Serpent cannot be destroyed by magic and trap cards then we'll have to destroy it in battle, and it has infinite attack strength. I don't quite see what we can do to get a monster powerful enough to destroy it in just one turn."

"We've both fought too hard just to be beaten now, Mai." Yami replied. "Before, we couldn't do a thing do Dartz due to his Seal of Orichalcos, Orichalcos Deuteros, and Orichalcos Tritos. As soon we overcame the power of the Orichalcos, we were able to drain 18000 of his LP right away. We are both only one move away from defeating Dartz, and it _will_ be done!"

Dartz laughed. "The two of you are in no better position, pharaoh. You only have 100 LP remaining, and Ms. Valentine only has 400 LP remaining. And since there's nothing the two of you can do to destroy my Divine Serpent, I'll win the duel as soon as your turn ends!"

"We'll see!" Yami shouted, drawing his card. His eyes widened. "I'll play this card face down. Now it's your turn, Dartz!"

"Then it's time to awaken the Leviathan!" Dartz announced, drawing his card. "Now, allow me to explain how my Divine Serpent Destructor Force magic card works. On the turn it is played, it allows me to draw five cards, as well as allow the two of you to draw one card from your deck. Then, on the first turn my Divine Serpent is allowed to attack, it allows my Divine Serpent to attack twice this turn!"

_No,_ Mai thought. _I don't have any way of stopping his attack this time! And if the Divine Serpent destroys our knights, we'll lose the duel!_

"Finally, my magic card's effect changes what is needed for my Divine Serpent to attack." Dartz explained. "You see, in order to attack with my Divine Serpent, I need to discard ten cards from my deck to the graveyard. But thanks to Divine Serpent Destructor Force's effect, I only need to discard the top card instead."

"Go, Divine Serpent!" Dartz ordered, discarding one card from his deck. "Destroy Legendary Knight Timaeus!" Divine Serpent's head comes out of the vortex and roars, then fires a bright blue beam of energy at Timaeus.

"_Pharaoh!"_ Mai screamed, as Timaeus cried out in pain, and is then destroyed, engulfing Yami's side of the field in smoke. (Yami's LP: 0)

"And then there were two," Dartz laughed, as the Seal of Orichalcos reappeared on the field. "But more importantly, you just lost the rest of your LP, pharaoh! So the duel is over for you, as is your existence!"

But as the seal shrank around the smoke still surrounding Yami, it suddenly shattered. "What! You should be gone!" Dartz shouted, as the smoke cleared, revealing Dark Magician Girl (1700 def) on Yami's side of the field.

"Tell me, how did you survive?" Dartz demanded.

"Quite simple, Dartz." Yami replied. "I just activated a powerful trap card known as Relay Soul. This trap card can only be used when my LP drop to 0. It allows me to summon a monster of any kind I choose from my hand to the field, regardless of summoning conditions. Then, as long as the chosen monster is not destroyed, I will remain in the game. So I chose to summon my Dark Magician Girl and put my fate in her hands."

Dartz clenched his fist in anger. "Fine, pharaoh! You can be the second one to be taken by the Orichalcos instead! Now, thanks to my Divine Serpent Destructor Force magic card, my Divine Serpent is allowed to attack a second time! This effect will only last one turn, but that's irrelevant!"

"I discard another card from my deck to my graveyard. Now Divine Serpent, destroy Legendary Knight Hermos!" Dartz ordered. Divine Serpent fires out another blue energy beam, and Legendary Knight Hermos is destroyed, engulfing Mai's side of the field in smoke.

"_HERMOS!"_ Mai shrieked, as her LP dropped to 0.

"Time to take you out of the picture, Ms. Valentine." Dartz laughed, as the Seal of Orichalcos reappeared on the field again. "Sacred seal, bring her soul to me!"

But as the seal reached the smoke, it also got shattered. "Impossible!" Dartz exclaimed. "How did _you_ escape?"

When the smoke cleared, Harpy Dragon Warrior was standing on Mai's side of the field (3400 def). "You made a _huge_ mistake attacking the pharaoh first, Dartz!" Mai replied. "I had no way of stopping you when your turn began, so if you had attacked _me_ first, I would have been beaten. I was hoping that you would attack the pharaoh instead, and that the pharaoh had some way to either stop your attack, or remain in the game, which he did by activating his Relay Soul trap card."

"But you don't _have_ a Relay Soul trap card in your deck, Mai!" Yami pointed out. "So how did you survive?"

Mai smiled. "With my face down card, of course. It was the magic card: Dark Spell Regeneration! As you know, this card allows me to activate any magic or trap from anyone's graveyard, and I chose your Relay Soul trap card! Since I could summon a monster from my hand _without_ the summoning conditions, I chose to summon Harpy Dragon Warrior, the ultimate monster that represents the combined strength of me and Joey!"

"It looks like all three of us are in the same situation now, Dartz." Yami observed, turning to Dartz. "We all have one monster. You have your Divine Serpent, I have my Dark Magician Girl, and Mai has her Harpy Dragon Warrior. When one is destroyed, the cardholder will lose, so let the final phase begin!"

"Yes, but understand this: the two of you may have altered the _rules_ of the battle, but your chance of victory is still no better." Dartz replied. "After all, you two have monsters that can be destroyed quite easily. As for me, my Divine Serpent is unbeatable!"

"Mai and I have the spirits of our friends to support us, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "You, on the other hand, are completely alone!"

"I wield more power than you two could ever imagine!" Dartz countered. "And I'll prove it by playing this: Impact Revive! This magic card brings back every single monster that was destroyed this move and gives it an extra 500 atk points for one turn."

At this point, Legendary Knight Timaeus and Legendary Knight Hermos immediately reappear on the field, their attacks raised to 3300.

"Our Legendary Knights? Why did you revive Timaeus and Hermos?" Mai demanded.

"I thought it would be fun to prove how powerless the two of you truly are, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. "Besides, Impact Revive has another effect. After the monsters destroyed this turn are revived, Impact Revive allows any monster on my side of the field that has already attacked to start another battle phase, so my Divine Serpent gets another chance to attack you!"

"And I think I'll take your advice you gave me, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied, discarding one card from his deck to his graveyard. "You've been a nuisance for too long in this duel, so it's time for that to change!" The Divine Serpent's head comes out of the vortex again and roars at Mai.

"Divine Serpent, destroy Ms. Valentine's monster and finish her off!" Dartz ordered. The Divine Serpent opens its mouth, then fires a blue energy beam at Harpy Dragon Warrior.


	39. Chapter 39

Okay, sorry about the delay... for once not the author's fault, but mine. Anyway, ragnarok wants to say that starting here is when it veers off the anime cause he wanted darts to be an actual threat without his oricalcos seal. Enjoy and Read and Review ^_^

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Chapter 39

"Your soul is mine, Ms. Valentine! There's no way out this time!" Dartz shouted, as the energy blast approached Harpy Dragon Warrior.

_Now what am I supposed to do?_ Mai thought. _The only hope I have of defeating his Divine Serpent is with Legendary Knight Hermos, but it is also the only monster on my side of the field I can use to block Dartz's attack and prevent my Harpy Dragon Warrior from being destroyed!_

"Legendary Knight Critius, activate your Sword of Wisdom!" Yami shouted. "Absorb the power of a trap card from Mai's graveyard!"

"What are you up to, pharaoh?" Dartz demanded.

"Has your memory faded after all these years, Dartz? Each of the three Legendary Knights has hidden powers, and I'm activating one from Critius right now!" Yami revealed. "Now Critius, absorb the power of Negate Attack!"

Legendary Knight Critius immediately jumped in front of Harpy Dragon Warrior and raised his sword, as the blue energy blast struck him.

"Thanks to the power of Negate Attack, your Divine Serpent's blast can't destroy him, which means Mai's Harpy Dragon Warrior is still safe!" Yami said.

Dartz clenched his fist in frustration. "We'll see about that! I'll play one card face down on the field. Your move, Ms. Valentine!"

_I've got to be careful,_ Mai thought, as Timaeus and Hermos's atk strengths both return to 2800 with the Impact Revive magic card's effect over. _I've never fought a duel like this before. If I make the slightest mistake, I'll lose my last chance to save Joey. Now, if the Legendary Knights have the ability to absorb certain cards into themselves, then they would retain all of that card's powers._

Her eyes widened at the card she drew. _This is just the card I need! Joey, I'm SO glad you had this card in your deck, for it will help me defeat Dartz!_

"Legendary Knight Hermos, I activate your special ability!" Mai shouted. "Absorb the power of _this_ monster: Zaborg the Thunder Monarch!" As the 2400 atk point monster is absorbed into Hermos's sword, Mai continued, "Zaborg the Thunder Monarch has a special ability as well, Dartz. For when it is summoned successfully, it can destroy one monster on the field. So now, Hermos has the ability to destroy any monster on your side of the field!"

"I told you Dartz, every monster has a weakness, and Mai just exploited _yours!"_ Yami said. "You only said that your Divine Serpent cannot be destroyed by magic and trap cards, but you said nothing about the special ability of monster cards!"

"This duel is over for you Dartz!" Mai shouted. "It's time for me to save Joey just like I promised I would! Legendary Knight Hermos, activate the power you just absorbed from Zaborg the Thunder Monarch and destroy his Divine Serpent!" Legendary Knight Hermos's sword lit up, then fires a beam of energy at Dartz's Divine Serpent, engulfing his side of the field in a flash of bright light.

But to Mai's surprise, the Divine Serpent remained in the vortex when the light subsided. "What! But why didn't your serpent get destroyed?" Mai demanded.

Dartz laughed, as one of his three Orichalcos Malevolences disappeared from the field. "Congratulations, Ms. Valentine. You located the weakness of my Divine Serpent. You're right. My Divine Serpent is indeed vulnerable to the special abilities of monster cards."

"Then how did it escape harm?" Mai demanded.

"Because my Divine Serpent has another special ability," Dartz replied. "If my Divine Serpent is targeted by the special ability of a monster card and will be destroyed by this process, I can redirect the target to another monster on my side of the field instead, assuming I have one."

"So _that's_ why your revived your three Orichalcos Malevolences with your Soul Charge magic card earlier," Yami said, realizing. "You didn't revive them to help fight us, you revived them as pawns to be sacrificed to prevent your Divine Serpent from being destroyed!"

"How right you are, pharaoh." Dartz replied. "And with my Orichalcos Malevolences to defend my Divine Serpent, you two will never win this duel."

"We'll see about that!" Yami shouted, drawing his card. "Legendary Knight Timaeus, absorb the power of Blade Knight from my graveyard!" The form of Blade Knight (1600 atk) immediately flew out from Yami's graveyard and into Timaeus's sword.

"Now Timaeus, destroy his Orichalcos Malevolence!" Yami ordered. Timaeus swings its legendary sword, and Orichalcos Malevolence is destroyed. "Don't forget Dartz, Blade Knight's special ability prevents the monster is destroys from activating its special ability, so you can't have two more Orichalcos Malevolences take its place!"

"That's irrelevant, pharaoh." Dartz replied. "You still have to attack my Divine Serpent sooner or later. And since it has ∞ atk, there's nothing you can do to stop me."

"Well I can still rid the field of your defenses, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "Now Legendary Knight Critius, absorb the power of my Widespread Ruin trap card! Normally, this trap card can only be activated when I am attacked, and destroys the monster with the highest atk points on my opponent's side of the field. But with Legendary Knight Critius, I can automatically destroy a monster on the field with the highest atk points right away!"

"Legendary Knight Critius, use your new power and destroy Dartz's Divine Serpent!" Yami ordered. Critius's sword lit up, then fires an energy blast at the Divine Serpent.

"I activate my Divine Serpent's special ability!" Dartz countered. "Now, I redirect the blast to my last Orichalcos Malevolence!" The blast from Critius's sword immediately turns away from the Divine Serpent, and Orichalcos Malevolence is destroyed.

"I'll place two cards face down. Now it's your turn." Yami ended, inserting the cards into the card slot.

"Very well, I activate my face down card: Ropes of Reincarnation!" Dartz revealed. "This permanent trap card allows me to bring back every monster that was destroyed on my opponent's turn, so welcome back my Orichalcos Malevolences!" The three fire beast monsters immediately reappear on the field, their attack strength still at 1500.

"And from this point onwards, I can bring back a monster from my graveyard every turn!" Dartz continued. "Now, I'll also summon this: Orichalcos Belligerence!" An even bigger beast of fire appeared on the field and roars at Yami and Mai.

"Am I supposed to be afraid of your oversized fireball?" Mai asked. "It only has 1800 attack points, too weak for our knights!"

Dartz laughed. "It may look weak, but looks can be deceiving, Ms. Valentine. Orichalcos Belligerence and Orichalcos Malevolence share a special bond. If both on the field at the same time, then my Orichalcos Belligerence will gain 600 attack points for every Orichalcos Malevolence on the field, and I have three."

"And that brings my Orichalcos Belligerence's attack strength to 3600," Dartz continued. "This makes it the strongest monster I've got on the field that is still available to be sacrificed to save my Divine Serpent. Now Orichalcos Belligerence, strike down one of the Legendary Knights!" Orichalcos Belligerence roars, then smashes the ground, sending a wave of fire at Legendary Knight Timaeus.

"Hold on, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "I activate one of my face down cards: Sakuretsu Armor! This trap card can only be activated when my opponent declares an attack, and allows me to destroy the attacking monster!"

Orichalcos Belligerence is destroyed. "That's what I was hoping for, pharaoh!" Dartz replied, discarding the top card from his deck. "Now that you wasted one of your face down cards, my Divine Serpent will finish you off!" The Divine Serpent roars at Yami, then fires a blue energy beam at Dark Magician Girl.

"Legendary Knight Hermos, defend!" Mai shouted. "Absorb the power of Celtic Guardian from the pharaoh's graveyard!" Hermos's sword lit up, and Celtic Guardian (1400 atk) is assimilated into it. Hermos then jumped in front of Dark Magician Girl and held up its sword.

"Since Celtic Guardian's special ability prevents it from being destroyed by any monster with 1900 atk points or more, your Divine Serpent cannot destroy Hermos, and thus cannot destroy the pharaoh's Dark Magician Girl!" Mai shouted.

Dartz gritted his teeth in frustration. "I'll play one card face down and end my turn for now."

"Fine! For starters, I'll have Legendary Knight Hermos absorb the power of Jinzo from my hand!" Mai announced. "And thanks to Jinzo's special ability to destroy trap cards, I can now destroy your Ropes of Reincarnation trap card!" Jinzo's form (2400 atk) flew into Hermos's sword, and Dartz's trap card is destroyed.

_I have no way to destroy his Orichalcos Malevolences without activating their special abilities,_ Mai thought. _All I can do now is hope that the pharaoh can tell what I am trying to accomplish with this finishing move._

"I'll place one card face down on the field and end my turn." Mai ended, inserting a card into her duel disk.

"All right Dartz, my move!" Yami said, drawing his card. _Mai must not have had a card that could destroy those three Orichalcos Malevolences without activating their special abilities, but maybe the card she just place face down is meant to help me._

Mai then looked over to Yami. "Please pharaoh," she pleaded. "Just call your attacks. My face down card will help you."

Yami nodded. "First I'll activate the magic card: Fissure! This allows me to randomly take the weakest monster on your side of the field and destroy it!"

One of Dartz's Orichalcos Malevolences is destroyed. "Next I'll have Legendary Knight Critius destroy another one of the Orichalcos Malevolences!" Yami shouted. Critius springs forward and launches its attack, and another Orichalcos Malevolence is destroyed.

"Now, I activate my face down card: Harpy's Feather Storm!" Mai shouted. "This trap card prevents a monster from activating its special abilities, so you can't have two more Orichalcos Malevolences take its place this time!"

"You'll have to do better than that," Dartz replied, not phased. "After all, there's still nothing the two of you can do that can defeat my Divine Serpent!"

"Besides, it's just about time I finished the two of you off!" Dartz continued. "Now, I summon another Orichalcos Belligerence to the field!" The giant fire beast appears on the field, its 1800 atk strength raised to 2400.

"And as I'm sure you are both aware, since I still have an Orichalcos Malevolence on the field, my Orichalcos Belligerence gains 600 extra attack points!" Dartz announced. "Now, I discard one card from my deck to my graveyard. Divine Serpent, destroy Harpy Dragon Warrior!"

"Nice try, Dartz!" Mai shouted, as the energy blast approached her monster. "But I was expecting that! Legendary Knight Hermos, activate your special ability—"

"Not this time, Ms. Valentine!" Dartz countered. "I reveal my face down card: Orichalcos Sword of Sealing! This magic card allows me to seal the effects of a monster on the field, and I choose Legendary Knight Hermos!"

A giant sword falls down from the sky, piercing Hermos in the chest. "And now," Dartz announced, "with your knight unable to defend you, you'll lose the duel!"

"Wrong, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "Legendary Knight Critius, absorb the power of the trap card from Mai's graveyard: Attack Guidance Armor!" Critius's sword lit up, and the trap card flew into it.

"With this, Critius will now be able to redirect your attack to another monster, and I choose your Orichalcos Malevolence!" Yami continued, as the energy blast from Divine Serpent turned around and destroyed Orichalcos Malevolence.

"And now that you've lost your Orichalcos Malevolence, your Orichalcos Belligerence gets weaker!" Yami shouted, as Orichalcos Belligerence's atk returned to 1800.

"It's still strong enough to destroy your Dark Magician Girl since she only has 1700 defense points!" Dartz countered. "First, I'll play this: the magic card Orichalcos Binding Chains! For every card I discard from my hand, I can chain your monsters to a position where they can't defend you or use their special abilities for one turn!"

"I discard two cards from my hand. Now Orichalcos Binding Chains, chain up Legendary Knight Timaeus and Legendary Knight Critius's effects!" Dartz shouted. Chains immediately rose up from out of the ground, and Timaeus and Critius are immediately tied up in them and chained to the ground.

"You won't be needing them, pharaoh. Not where _you_ are going! Now Orichalcos Belligerence, destroy his Dark Magician Girl and bring the pharaoh's soul to me!" Dartz ordered. Orichalcos Belligerence roars, then sends a wave a fire at Dark Magician Girl.

"Not so fast, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "You forget that I still have one face down card. Now I'll activate it: Magical Pigeons!"

As the fire wave approached Dark Magician Girl, she is automatically transformed into a white pigeon, and Orichalcos Belligerence's attack failed.

"This magic card can only be used on Dark Magician Girl," Yami explained. "If she is about to be destroyed in battle, Magical Pigeons will transform her into a pigeon for one turn to escape harm. And now that you turn is over, my legendary knight are now free!" The chains around Timaeus and Critius dissolve, and the two Legendary Knights assume their battle positions again.

"That's irrelevant!" Dartz countered. "Legendary Knight Hermos is still unable to defend or use any hidden powers! So go ahead and do your worst, Ms. Valentine."

"Fine, I will!" Mai shouted. "First, I'll switch my Harpy Dragon Warrior into attack mode!" As Harpy Dragon Warrior assumed its attack position (4300 atk), she continued, "Now, Harpy Dragon Warrior, destroy his Orichalcos Belligerence!"

The harpy riding on top of the Red Eyes Ultimate Dragon raised its twin swords and fired out an energy blast, and the three Red Eyes Black Dragon heads launch their fireballs, destroying Orichalcos Belligerence in the process. "Now you have no more monsters left for your Divine Serpent to hide behind!" Mai shouted.

Dartz laughed. "I doubt that will be so essential, Ms. Valentine. After all, it doesn't change the fact that it has infinite attack strength, and the two of you will soon run out of monsters cards that have such special abilities that can destroy my Divine Serpent!"

"We'll see!" Mai countered. "Now, I activate another Harpy's Feather Duster magic card, allowing me to destroy your Orichalcos Sword of Sealing and freeing Legendary Knight Hermos in the process!" A giant whirlwind materializes, surrounding Legendary Knight Hermos, still impaled by Dartz's Orichalcos Sealing Sword.

But to Mai's surprise, the sealing sword remained in Hermos's chest when the whirlwind subsided. "You should have known that your card wouldn't work, Ms. Valentine." Dartz laughed. "Such a magic card is just like the Seal of Orichalcos, and is too powerful to be destroyed by a mere magic card. Why else do you think that the Seal of Orichalcos couldn't be destroyed by any magic card, trap card, or monster effect card?"

"You're absolutely right Dartz, so allow _me_ to destroy it on Mai's behalf!" Yami shouted. "Now Legendary Knight Timaeus, absorb the power of Breaker the Magical Warrior!" As the 1600 atk point monster is assimilated into Timaeus's sword, Timaeus's atk strength increased to 3100.

Yami continued, "As you know, Breaker the Magical Warrior gets one spell counter when it is normal summoned, and gains 300 extra atk points for that counter. And with Breaker's special ability, Timaeus can now destroy any magic or trap card on the field I choose if I remove that counter, so I'll use Legendary Knight Timaeus's special ability to destroy your Orichalcos Sealing Sword and free Legendary Knight Hermos!"

Legendary Knight Timaeus fires its energy blast, and the sealing sword piercing Legendary Knight Hermos is destroyed. "Now, I'll place this monster face down in defense mode, as well as one card face down and end my turn." Yami finished, inserting the cards into his duel disk, as Legendary Knight Timaeus's atk strength returned to 2800.

But to Yami and Mai's surprise, a giant black beast suddenly appeared before them. "Wait a minute, you haven't even done anything yet! Where did you get that monster from, Dartz?" Mai demanded.

Dartz laughed. "From Orichalcos Belligerence, of course. That's the second special ability of Orichalcos Belligerence, but can only be used once in a duel. If it is destroyed in battle, I can summon any monster I want between 2500 and 3000 atk points from my graveyard on my turn, so meet my Orichalcos Death Dealer!" The dark beast assumed its battle position and roars angrily at Yami and Mai (2900 atk).

"But you never even sent such a card to your graveyard!" Mai protested.

"Did you forget that Dartz discarded his entire hand when your destroyed his Orichalcos Shunoros in order to summon his Divine Serpent, Mai?" Yami reminded her. "One of those cards in his hand that he discarded must have been his Orichalcos Death Dealer."

"Yes, it's true." Dartz replied. "Nothing gets past you, pharaoh. And it looks like I have the advantage once again, since my Orichalcos Death Dealer is stronger than your Legendary Knights!"

"Now Orichalcos Death Dealer, destroy the pharaoh's Dark Magician Girl!" Dartz ordered. Orichalcos Death Dealer roars, then shoots out a line of fire at Dark Magician Girl.

"I think not, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "Legendary Knight Timaeus, absorb the power of my face down monster!"

"_Now_ what are you planning, pharaoh?" Dartz demanded.

"My face down defense monster was _this:_ Old Vindictive Magician!" Yami revealed. "And its effect allows me to destroy a monster on your side of the field. And since your Divine Serpent can redirect monster effects to another monster on your side of the field, there's no point for my to target it, so I'll choose your Orichalcos Death Dealer instead!"

Old Vindictive Magician (450 atk) is absorbed into Timaeus's sword, and the energy blast from Orichalcos Death Dealer is repelled by Timaeus, and sent back at itself.

Dartz laughed. "That's exactly what I wanted you to do, pharaoh! Orichalcos Death Dealer has a special ability as well. If it is targeted by a monster's special ability, it has the ability to redirect the special ability attack to a _different_ monster!" Orichalcos Death Dealer roars as it is struck by its own energy blast from Timaeus, then hurls the energy blast right back, this time at Harpy Dragon Warrior.

"Legendary Knight Critius, activate _your_ special ability!" Yami shouted. "Absorb the power of a trap card from Mai's graveyard: Harpy's Feather Storm!" The Harpy's Feather Storm trap card flies into Critius's sword, and the energy blast that Orichalcos Death Dealer sent over at Harpy Dragon Warrior is once again redirected back at itself.

"Thanks to Mai's trap card, I can deactivate a monster's special ability for one turn, and I choose your Orichalcos Death Dealer!" Yami shouted, as Orichalcos Death Dealer is destroyed.

"That was part of my plan, pharaoh." Dartz replied, discarding the top card of his deck to the graveyard. "Now that both of your Legendary Knights have used their special powers this turn, they can't do it a second time! So now my Divine Serpent will finish you off!" The Divine Serpent roars at Yami, then fires a blue energy beam at Dark Magician Girl.

"You haven't won yet, Dartz!" Mai shouted, holding up a card. "Legendary Knight Hermos, absorb the power of Rocket Warrior!" As Rocket Warrior (1500 atk) is absorbed into Hermos's sword, Mai continued, "Now I'll activate Rocket Warrior's invincible mode special ability, which prevents it from being destroyed in battle!"

As the Divine Serpent's energy blast struck Hermos, it is harmlessly deflected. "I told you Dartz, you are _not_ going to win this duel!" Mai shouted. "The pharaoh and I have come too far just to let you defeat us!"

"We'll see, Ms. Valentine!" Dartz seethed. "Now, I'll place one card face down on the field and end my turn."

_Dartz has no more monsters left for his Divine Serpent to hide behind now,_ Mai thought, drawing her card. _Unfortunately, I can't take advantage of the situation right now because there's only one monster card left in my hand has the special ability that will destroy his serpent which I can allow Legendary Knight Hermos to absorb. But this would mean that I have to give up Hermos in order to use its effect, and if Dartz uses his face down card to counter it, I will have nothing left to defend my Harpy Dragon Warrior with. All I can do now is do what Joey does in situations like this—gamble, and hope the dice doesn't land on the wrong result._

"I'll play this monster in defense mode and end my turn." Mai said, setting a monster face down in defense position. _Now, if I can just get Dartz to attack it, I'll rid the field of his Divine Serpent._

"It's time for me to destroy your Divine Serpent, Dartz!" Yami shouted, drawing his card. "And I have just the card to do it with!"

Dartz laughed. "Ever since my Divine Serpent has appeared on the field, all you and Ms. Valentine have succeeded in doing is delaying your own downfall, pharaoh. What makes you think this move will be any different?"

"It's a risky move," Yami admitted. "But it's one I have to take! Now, I play the magic card: Thirst for Compensation! This allows me to summon any two 4-star or lower monsters from my hand, and I choose my Queen's Knight and King's Knight! And with both Queen's Knight and King's Knight on the field at the same time, I can automatically special summon my Jack's Knight to the field!"

"Hold on pharaoh," Mai protested as Queen's Knight (1500 atk) and King's Knight (1600 atk) appeared on the field. "You already have Timaeus, Critius, and Dark Magician Girl on the field. Adding your Queen's Knight and King's Knight will give your five monsters, which means you have no more room left to summon your Jack's Knight!"

"Wrong Mai," Yami corrected. "I call upon the special abilities of the Legendary Knights! Now Legendary Knight Critius, switch over to the other part of the field!" Legendary Knight Critius bowed in comprehension, then jumped over to Mai's side of the field.

"And now that Critius is on _your_ side of the field Mai, I have the final slot open to summon my Jack's Knight!" Yami announced, as Jack's Knight appeared on the field (1900 atk).

Dartz laughed. "What's the matter, pharaoh? Are the three Legendary Knights not good enough for you?"

"Wrong again, Dartz! Now I activate my face down card: Royal Straight!" Yami revealed. "This magic card can only be used when King's Knight, Queen's Knight, and Jack's Knight are all on the field together, and allows me to specially summon a powerful monster from my hand, deck, or graveyard!"

"Go ahead, pharaoh!" Dartz countered. "Nothing you summon can stand up to my Divine Serpent anyway!"

"You're mistaken Dartz! And you'll find out right now! I sacrifice King's Knight, Queen's Knight, and Jack's Knight!" Yami shouted, as the three knights disappear from the field. "Now behold, my Royal Straight Slasher!" At this point, a giant emerald knight appeared in their place.

"That means nothing, pharaoh." Dartz replied. "Your Royal Straight Slasher only has 2400 atk points. Did you forget my Divine Serpent has _infinite_ atk points?"

"That won't mean anything soon, Dartz! First, I call upon the special abilities of the Legendary Knights! Return to me, Legendary Knight Critius!" Yami shouted, as Critius returned to his side of the field. "Now, I activate the special ability of my Royal Straight Slasher! First I must draw six cards. Then, if I can send one monster from each of the first five levels from my hand or deck to my graveyard, my Royal Straight Slasher will destroy every face up card on my opponent's side of the field, including your Divine Serpent! And since your Divine Serpent is alone on your side of the field, it cannot escape this time! And even if you _do_ have other monsters, they can't help you this time due to my Royal Straight Slasher's special ability!"

"I'd like to see you try, pharaoh!" Dartz shouted, as Yami drew his cards. "You two will _never_ destroy my Divine Serpent!"

"We'll let my Royal Straight Slasher be the judge of that, Dartz!" Yami countered. "Now, I will send five monsters from the first five levels to the graveyard! Level 1: Kuribo (300 atk)! Level 2: Man-Eater Bug (450 atk)! Level 3: Giant Soldier of Stone (1300 atk)! Level 4: Mystical Elf (800 atk)! Level 5: Curse of Dragon (2000 atk)! Now Royal Straight Slasher, destroy every card on his side of the field, including his Divine Serpent!" Royal Straight Slasher's sword lit up, then sends waves of white energy at Dartz's Divine Serpent.

"You seem to forget that I still have one face down card, pharaoh." Dartz replied, as the energy waves approached his Divine Serpent. "And now I'll activate it: Orichalcos Death Meteors! This magic card is activated if one of my monsters is about to be destroyed. Then, by discarding a number of cards from my hand, I can destroy the same number of monsters on your side of the field. Of course the monsters are randomly chosen, but I don't think that will matter this time."

"I discard three cards from my hand," Dartz said, as three giant green meteors materialized in midair. "Now, let's see which three monsters my meteors chose!"

The three green meteors lit up, then sped towards their targets. One slammed into Royal Straight Slasher, destroying it in the process. "So much for all your efforts, pharaoh!" Dartz replied. "Now you have nothing left to defeat me with!"

"We're still standing, Dartz!" Mai shouted. "Since the moment you activated the Seal of Orichalcos against us, you said that you will be able to defeat us very quickly, and you were dead wrong!"

"Then take a look at my other two meteors, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied.

Mai looked up…..and gasped in horror. The other two meteors just selected their targets. One was heading towards Yami's Dark Magician Girl, the other was heading towards her Harpy Dragon Warrior.

"Looks like luck was on my side after all!" Dartz laughed. "As soon as my remaining two meteors hit your monsters, you two are finished!"


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40

"In a matter of moments, your souls will be mine!" Dartz shouted, as the two meteors approached Yami's Dark Magician Girl and Mai's Harpy Dragon Warrior.

"I think not, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "Now Legendary Knight Critius, activate your special ability! Absorb a trap card from Mai's graveyard: Interdimensional Matter Transporter!"

As the trap card is assimilated into Critius's sword, Yami continued, "Now Legendary Knight Critius, teleport Harpy Dragon Warrior away from the field for this turn!" Legendary Knight Critius fired a beam of energy at Harpy Dragon Warrior, and it disappeared from the field.

"Thanks to Mai's trap card, Harpy Dragon Warrior is able to leave the field for one moment, which means your meteor hit nothing!" Yami shouted, as Dartz's meteor struck the empty ground, and Harpy Dragon Warrior reappears on the field.

"Well too bad for your Dark Magician Girl, pharaoh." Dartz replied. "_It_ is about to be destroyed by my last meteor, and you can't stop it now!"

"Then allow _me_ to do it, Dartz!" Mai shouted. "Legendary Knight Hermos, absorb the power of Different Dimension Dragon from _my_ graveyard and intercept the attack!"

The meteor struck Legendary Knight Hermos as the 1200 atk point monster is absorbed into Hermos's sword, but Hermos remained unharmed on the field.

"Thanks to the special ability of Different Dimension Dragon, Hermos cannot be destroyed by any magic or trap card unless it specifically targets a monster, and your Orichalcos Death Meteors magic card had its monsters chosen randomly!" Mai shouted.

Dartz clutched his fist in frustration. "You two can't keep this up forever, and I _still_ have the upper hand! So finish your move, pharaoh!"

"I'll play two cards face down on the field. Now it's your turn." Yami said, inserting the cards into his duel disk.

"Very well, I discard the top card of my deck to my graveyard. And since you're going to activate Legendary Knight Hermos's special ability to protect your Harpy Dragon Warrior anyway, I'll have my Divine Serpent attack _him_ instead!" Dartz announced, as his Divine Serpent fires its energy blast at Legendary Knight Hermos.

"Legendary Knight Hermos, absorb the power of my face down monster!" Mai shouted. "It is D.D. Warrior Lady! This 1500 atk pt monster comes with a devastating side effect, and it will finish you off, Dartz!"

"If D.D. Warrior Lady battles with another monster, I can remove that monster and my D.D. Warrior Lady from the game," Mai explained. "Now that it has been assimilated into Legendary Knight Hermos, you're finished!"

Legendary Knight Hermos is destroyed. "I may have lost Hermos in the process, but it was worth it! For when you sent my legendary knight to the graveyard, I can now choose to destroy the monster that destroyed it in the process!" Mai explained. "So your Divine Serpent now had to go to the graveyard also! And with no other monster on the field, you Divine Serpent can't hide this time!"

Dartz's Divine Serpent is destroyed. "You lose, Dartz!" Mai shouted in triumph.

But to Mai's surprise, Dartz laughed. "Wrong again, Ms. Valentine. You misunderstood what I meant when I said that as long as my Divine Serpent remains on the field, I remain in the game. If I lose my Divine Serpent on somebody's turn and I can't bring it back onto the field before that person's turn ends, _then_ I lose the duel. But if I succeed, then no harm is done and the duel continues.."

"Then what are you planning, Dartz?" Mai demanded.

"I play this: the magic card Meteor of Life! Now watch how it works!" Dartz shouted, as a giant green meteor appeared on the field.

"Meteor of Life only works when a monster of mine has been destroyed, and brings it back to the field right away regardless of summoning conditions, so welcome back my Divine Serpent!" Dartz laughed, as his Divine Serpent began to reappear on the field, floating in its vortex.

"And my Divine Serpent still has infinite atk points," Dartz reminded. "Finally, Meteor of Life's second affect activates, and will now choose the battle position that my Divine Serpent will be resurrected in. You see, if the monster brought back from my Meteor of Life returns in attack position, it is allowed to attack again right away!"

_No,_ Mai thought in horror. _This means I lost the most powerful monster I have for nothing! And if I'm attack again by Dartz's Divine Serpent, I'll have no way to stopping it!_

To Mai's relief, however, Dartz's Divine Serpent is resurrected in defense position (∞ def).

"Well how fortunate for you, Ms. Valentine." Dartz observed in disgust. "If Meteor of Life brings back the resurrected monster in _defense_ position, I cannot change its position until my next turn. I guess you got off lucky for now. But it won't last. After all, you lost Hermos in the process, so I _still_ accomplished something in that attack!"

"Wrong, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "I activate one of my face down cards: Rope of Life! Now, once I discard my entire hand, this trap card allows me to bring back a monster that was destroyed in battle this turn and gives it an extra 800 atk points, so I choose Legendary Knight Hermos!"

"It's still nothing compared to my Divine Serpent, pharaoh." Dartz replied, as Legendary Knight Hermos reappeared on the field, its atk of 2800 increased to 3600. "I'll play three cards face down. Make your move, Ms. Valentine!"

Soul World

"A legendary knight that looks just like _you?_ Now this is getting _absurd,_ Wheeler." Valon observed in his bubble, looking through the vortex that the Divine Serpent is floating in with Joey.

"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting _that,_" Joey replied, also looking through the vortex.

Ever since Dartz's Divine Serpent opened the vortex/gateway that connected the soul world that they were trapped in to the real world, the two of them had been trying to look through the hole to see how the pharaoh and Mai were doing against Dartz. They were lucky too. The Leviathan's eye was busy assimilating other bubbles into its belly, allowing the bubbles with the two of them in it to stay near the vortex, which allowed Joey and Valon to see how the duel was coming along.

Joey was relieved to see that Mai was still standing, and despite Dartz's efforts to weaken her from the inside, her determination remained unwavering. Despite everything Dartz put her through, along with the guilt Joey knew Mai must have felt when she lost him to the Orichalcos, she remained strong in the duel, both physically and emotionally.

It was a major shock to Joey as well, as not even _he_ had dueled under the conditions that Dartz, Yami, and Mai were all currently in. And because he had never dueled under such circumstances, Joey simply didn't know how well he would hold up no matter what he was fighting for. He was really surprised to see Mai doing so well against Dartz. Maybe Valon was right after all. Maybe there really _was_ nothing fueling Mai's strength except for him. After all, when he ended up back in here after Mai attacked him with Mirror Force Dragon, Dartz had 19000 LP and she only had 1200 LP. Not to mention the fact that Dartz had the Orichalcos layers Deuteros and Tritos with him, allowing him to gain 500 LP every turn for every monster on the field, shielding his LP from direct attacks from monster cards, as well as preventing Mai's magic and trap cards from destroying and negatively affecting his own monsters. When Joey was able to see the battlefield again, Dartz had lost all three layers of the seal along with all of his LP, but remained standing due to his Divine Serpent's special ability. Mai, on the other hand, still had 400 LP left, and controlled Hermos, which had been transformed from dragon form into knight form from the card that Pegasus gave to the pharaoh. Even if Mai was truly fighting for him alone, it would still take a little getting used to, as Joey had _never_ seen Mai fight this hard for _anything_ in her life before. The look in her eyes said it all: she wasn't going to stop fighting until she had accomplished what she came here to do.

Valon seemed saddened to see that the Mai he fought for was nothing like what he had thought would be, and was indeed the Mai that Joey described to him during their Orichalcos duel. When he first met Mai, he knew right away that Mai was a lonely and misunderstood woman. It was his hope that he could help Mai find her true self. If successful, it was Valon's hope that the two of them would team up together, allowing the two of them to take on the rest of the world. What he _didn't_ know, however, was that Mai already had that special someone: Joey. For Valon, it was merely a stroke of luck that he and Mai even met, and since he was under the influence of the Orichalcos back then, he only made things worse for her.

Now that he thought about it, Valon was glad that Joey won their Orichalcos duel. After hearing what Joey went through in his duel with Mai, he really wondered what would have happened to Mai if he really _did_ beat Joey. While every part of him back then would have thought that Mai would be congratulating him for his victory, every part of him now can only see Mai crying over Joey's unconscious body, and screaming for him to release Joey from the seal immediately. If the Orichalcos crystal around Mai was still intact at that moment, he would have believed back then that Mai wanted him to release Joey from the seal so _she_ can seal Joey away. On the other hand, had the Orichalcos crystal shattered, then the only reason for Mai's demand would be because she didn't want Joey sealed away _at all,_ but didn't realize that until she lost Joey to the Orichalcos. But back then, this would have angered him as he would have seen that he went through much pain to get Joey out of the way for Mai to allow her to move on with her life and team up with him. But in the end, Mai didn't want to move on from Joey _at all,_ much less team up with _him._ And since the power of the Orichalcos feeds off anger, its hold over him would have strengthened dramatically for his own emotions at Mai, for he would have been angry at Mai back then because he would have seen that he meant virtually nothing to her and Joey meant everything to her.

It was painful to Valon to admit it, but unfortunately there was no denying the facts. By the time he had met Mai, she and Joey had already developed a strong bond of friendship, although neither one seemed to notice it at that time. He, on the other hand, picked up on their bond right away, but it wasn't until he challenged Joey into that Orichalcos duel in that empty lot did he realize just how strong it truly was. He knew that Mai still cared deeply for Joey even when she was under the influence of the Orichalcos, and that was why he believed that if Joey was removed from the picture, it would remove the last obstacle for Mai to move on with her life and most likely teaming up with him. And with Joey gone, he and Mai would be able to take on anything that stood in their way. But in the end, the bond between Joey and Mai prevailed, and he ended up with the dozens of people he sealed away when he dueled them in that juvenile detention center in Sydney, Australia. And right before the Orichalcos had captured him, he realized that perhaps Joey never _was_ an obstacle to Mai. Maybe the obstacle had been _him_ the entire time and he just never bothered to consider that possibility. After all of Mai's obsession to duel Joey when she was under the influence of the Orichalcos, it never once occurred to Valon that maybe the reason never was for Mai to move on with her life. Maybe the _real_ reason was because Mai wanted to be with Joey, but the Orichalcos was corrupting her thoughts and judgment.

"When Pegasus said that the legendary dragons were really legendary knights, I didn't expect them to look almost exactly like how the three of _us_ looked like," Joey observed, looking at Legendary Knight Timaeus and Legendary Knight Critius through the vortex. "Timaeus looks just like the pharaoh, and Critius looks just like Kaiba."

"No kidding, Wheeler." Valon replied. "And personally, you don't strike me as the knight in shining armor type person."

"What are you talking about, Valon?" Joey asked, confused. "So you're saying my effort that broke the Orichalcos spell over Mai was not an act of heroism?"

"It's not that," Valon replied. "You're too fanatical to be a knight a shining armor."

Joey grunted in disgust. "I hope you know, Valon, fanaticism is a precursor to bravery!" he insisted.

"I know that!" Valon shot back. His face then turned serious. "But you know how corruptive the power of the Orichalcos is. By the time the duel between you and Mai began, you could barely even stay standing. Just what made you think you could succeed in breaking the Orichalcos spell over her before your endurance ran out?"

"I didn't," Joey admitted. "All I really had was an exhortation that I would break the spell over her. I had no idea how to really do it, nor did I see any guarantee of success. All I knew was that I couldn't talk any sense into her as long as she was under that spell."

"Then answer me this, Wheeler. Did it ever occur to you in that duel that _nothing_ you do would succeed in breaking that spell?" Valon asked.

"But I _did_ break the spell, Valon." Joey pointed out. "Otherwise Mai wouldn't have tried to stop the seal from taking my soul."

"You know what I mean, Wheeler." Valon said. "Surely before the duel even began, you had to have known that there was that possibility of you failing to break the spell."

"That thought was in the back of my head, but yes, I knew of that possibility." Joey admitted.

"Then what exactly were you going to do when the time comes and you have to make such a decision?" Valon asked. "If you couldn't break the spell over Mai, then how exactly were you going to end the duel?"

Joey sighed. "Unfortunately Valon, I really don't know. As you know, in times of need, sometimes certain sacrifices need to be made in order to achieve a greater good. Now, from a normal person's perspective, the right thing for me to do then would be simply to win the duel and seal Mai away, then rescue her later."

"But that is not your perspective, nor is it mine, Wheeler." Valon pointed out.

"Very observant, Valon." Joey replied. "I wouldn't be able to stand it if Mai was captured by the seal, but I also knew that something she didn't at that time: Dartz was never going to give her power in the end anyway. In fact, when you brought her to Dartz, I bet the only reason why he kept her was because of me."

"That is true, Wheeler." Valon admitted. "After Rex and Weevil were defeated, Dartz held another conference for the four of us at Paradias HQ. Mai insisted on letting her seal you away. When Rafael and Alister tried to bring her back under control, she angrily stormed off and out of the building. After she left the room, Dartz insisted for me to let her go, saying that she would eventually get what she deserved."

"Valon, from that sentence alone you should have been able to tell that Dartz's intentions. Even if his story really _was_ true and Dartz really _would_ rebuild paradise, you should have been able to tell that Dartz had no intention of letting Mai stay in the new world that he created." Joey reasoned.

"Well, I thought that I could reason with Dartz for that matter." Valon explained. "After I unlocked the seal and ended the duel between you and Mai in the Industrial Illusions building, Rafael and I took her back to Paradias HQ. Dartz wasn't pleased with my actions, insisting that Mai was doing just fine against you."

"Not after I used Hermos she didn't," Joey pointed out. "But it's not like I was trying the win the duel anyway."

"True, but Rafael and I didn't know that back then." Valon replied. "Anyway, after we brought her back to Paradias HQ, Dartz only dropped the issue because I reasoned with him that Mai's deck wasn't ready to take on your legendary dragon yet."

"I'm really not sure about that, Valon." Joey replied. "You have to remember, I only used Hermos for about two turns against her, whereas she _constantly_ used the Seal of Orichalcos against me in that duel. This was also true for the second time in the empty lot, when I only used Hermos for one turn against her, and she used the seal almost nonstop against _me."_

Valon nodded. "It's just like your Orichalcos duel with me, Wheeler. I was _really_ hoping to win that duel because Rafael specifically told me that he never liked Mai's attitude and never wanted her to be part of the group after we brought her back to Paradias HQ after your duel with her in the Industrial Illusions building. He said that he is only letting her stay because like myself, Rafael also knows how you feel towards her."

Joey nodded in understanding. "I see. You wanted to take advantage of that."

"Exactly," Valon replied. "Dartz had hoped that due to your feelings toward Mai, it would make the job easier for you to get captured by the seal. And Rafael stated that if that task gets accomplished, then Mai would be of no more use to the DOOM organization."

"I had a feeling that was going to be the case, but I had no intention of ending the duel with a draw _that _time." Joey explained. "After seeing Mai again in the empty lot, I knew that I had to end the duel differently in order to break the Orichalcos spell over her."

"And that brings me back to my original question," Valon replied. "Just what did you plan to do it you _couldn't_ break the spell over her?"

Joey sighed. "I couldn't stand sealing Mai away, but I also had a gut feeling that if she won the duel and returned to Dartz, he would only reveal that she is now of no more use to them and would seal _her_ away. In a sense, this is a lose-lose scenario. If I win the duel, Mai would be sealed away. If I let _her_ win the duel and the Orichalcos spell over her remained intact, then she would lose her soul anyway because Dartz would believe that she had served her purpose for him."

"If I couldn't break the Orichalcos spell over her, then the only _real_ chance for Mai would have been for the pharaoh to find her the moment our Orichalcos duel ended." Joey explained. "This would have triggered _another_ Orichalcos duel, and hopefully the pharaoh would have better luck than I did in breaking the Orichalcos spell over her. In fact, during that duel I knew that even if I _did_ break the Orichalcos spell over her but lost my soul in the process, it would still be best for Mai to go link up with my friends."

"But you said that your final thought before being captured by the Orichalcos was for Mai to pursue a life of happiness." Valon pointed out.

"That's true, but I had still hoped for Mai to link up with the pharaoh and the others to tell them of what happened to _me."_ Joey replied. "From that point on, whatever she does would be completely up to her."

"Link up with your friends after what just happened? You're insane, Wheeler. Mai would be lucky if they'd even let her walk away with serious injuries." Valon insisted. "Most likely, they would have beaten her to death right on the spot."

"My friends aren't that type, Valon." Joey explained. "Well, except maybe Tristan. But even _he_ wouldn't do such a thing. He might hold a grudge against her for her actions, but he would never resort to violence of _that_ scale."

Valon nodded. "Mai must have given a _very_ influential speech to have your friends let her fight on their side. If I were them, nothing she said or did would have convinced me that she changed her ways."

"My friends would be able to tell that Mai realized that she had made a grave mistake, and that she wanted to make up for it." Joey replied. "Besides, they all knew that blaming her wasn't going to resolve the situation. My friends knew that they needed all the help that they could get their hands on, and Mai's help was going to be necessary."

"That brings me to another question, Wheeler. How is Mai able to wield your legendary dragon?" Valon asked. "I understand all the other cards from your deck as she probably just took your entire deck with her in coming to confront Dartz, but your legendary dragon is something that she shouldn't have been able to use."

"Why do you say that, Valon?" Joey asked.

"Well, we all know that during the duel between you and her in the Industrial Illusions building, you were praying for a miracle to happen and you got one: your legendary dragon Hermos. You may not know this, but the power of the Orichalcos cannot be mixed with the legendary dragons. You also know that the monsters are no longer holograms once the Seal of Orichalcos is in play, and that would include your legendary dragon." Valon replied. "Since you were given one of the legendary dragons, it made you a Chosen Duelist. And since you lost your soul to the Orichalcos from the seal which Mai played, your legendary dragon should _never_ have been able to respond to her. And despite Mai's best efforts to stop the seal from taking your soul, it doesn't change that fact that you lost your soul nonetheless."

_It's because I purified her and gave her some of my strength, Valon,_ Joey thought. _That is why Mai was able to wield Hermos, as well as Kaiba's Fang of Critius._ "Probably because she desperately wanted to bring me back," he replied. "If the Claw of Hermos was able to hear my prayer for a miracle in that duel in the Industrial Illusions building, perhaps it was also able to hear Mai's pleas. If so, it would have known that Mai had realized the errors of her ways, and her determination to set things right again."

"That makes logical sense, but then how do you explain how Mai was able to wield _Kaiba's_ legendary dragon?" Valon asked. "As a Chosen Duelist, it means that it is the card that chooses _you,_ not you who chooses the card. So why did _Kaiba's_ legendary dragon respond to Mai?"

_You've got a good point about the Chosen Duelists, Valon, _Joey thought. _Marik gave Mai a very similar speech when she couldn't use the Winged Dragon of Ra against him in Battle City._ "I guess all three legendary dragons are a unity, Valon. And what I mean by that is as a Chosen Duelist, I should be able to wield _any_ of the three legendary dragons, not just the one given to me. Perhaps that was also passed on to Mai. It's possible that the legendary dragons have the ability to communicate with each other instantaneously, allowing the other two to know what happened immediately."

Valon nodded. "All right, but that still doesn't explain why your legendary dragon's knight form looks almost exactly like you, Wheeler. Just because you are a Chosen Duelist doesn't mean your legendary knight will simply take your form. Besides, it couldn't take your form even if it wanted to anyway."

"What are you talking about, Valon?" Joey asked, confused.

Valon sighed. "Pegasus said that Dartz turned the three legendary knights into dragons 10,000 years ago. That means they already _have_ knight forms. And since you didn't exist back then, that means there was no way for Hermos to take on your form."

Joey nodded. "The three legendary knights were imprisoned in their dragon forms for the last 10,000 years, so that means their human forms were never changed from the moment Dartz transformed them."

"Then that means the human form of Hermos was exactly like the way it is now," Valon concluded, pointing through the vortex to Legendary Knight Hermos. "So what does this make _you,_ Wheeler?"

"What are you saying, Valon?" Joey asked. "That I have some sort of connection to Hermos even _before_ I became a chosen duelist?"

"If Hermos's human form looks almost exactly like you, does this make you his 10,000 year old ancestor?" Valon asked.

Joey was taken by surprise. He never thought of it like that before. During Battle City, Marik had said that only duelists with pasts to ancient Egypt are capable of wielding an Egyptian God card, which was why Mai couldn't use the Winged Dragon of Ra. But Kaiba was able to use Obelisk the Tormentor successfully, which would mean he had an ancient past 5000 years ago. Seeing the tablet in the Domino Museum only strengthened this belief. Furthermore, when he saw that tablet he saw that the pharaoh looked almost exactly like Yugi, which further increased his belief that there was a possibility that Yugi was a 5000 year old descendent of the pharaoh. If true, then Yugi would be able to use the Egyptian God cards as well, since he a past to ancient Egypt also.

But now, when he saw that the legendary dragons he, Yugi, and Kaiba wielded all had knight forms that looked exactly like the three of them, Valon's statement may indeed be justified. There was definitely a chance that he was a 10,000 year old descendent of Hermos. This would mean that Yugi and Kaiba were 10,000 year old descendents of Timaeus and Critius, which would make the pharaoh a 5000 year old descendent of Timaeus.

"I honestly don't know, Valon." Joey replied. "All I can say is this: whatever reason of why Hermos looks exactly like me, I'm sure it can't be a coincidence."

Dartz's Temple

_Just my luck,_ Mai thought, drawing her card. _Dartz's Divine Serpent may be in defense position, but the only card I have in my hand won't do the job._ She sighed, looking at Yami's remaining face down card and Dartz's three face down cards. _And since the pharaoh discarded his entire hand when he activated his Rope of Life trap card, the two of us are still at a disadvantage. All I can do for now is give the pharaoh a new hand. I just hope he can continue from where I left off._

"Legendary Knight Hermos, absorb the power of Morphing Jar!" she shouted. As the 700 atk point monster is assimilated into Hermos's sword, she continued, "This allows Hermos to activate Morphs Jar's special ability. Now all three of us must discard our entire hands and draw 5 new cards. But since the pharaoh and I don't have any cards left in our hands, we are allowed to skip the first rule."

"And you think that worries me, Ms. Valentine?" Dartz taunted, discarding his hand. "You already used Hermos's special ability this turn, so you can't use it again!"

"Maybe not, but at least now the pharaoh and I have new hands to defeat you with, so I'll end my turn." Mai shot back.

"You'll be dueling alone in just a moment, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. "I activate my face down card: Serpent Retribution! This trap card can only be activated if I have a serpent type monster on my side of the field, such as my Divine Serpent. If it is in defense position, my trap changes it to attack position."

"What are you up to, Dartz?" Yami demanded, as Dartz's Divine Serpent switched battle positions.

"This card has another effect, pharaoh." Dartz explained. "I am now allowed to choose one monster on your side of the field and force it to battle it out with a monster on my side of the field, and I choose your Dark Magician Girl and my Divine Serpent! Finally, as a devastating side effect, no magic card, trap card, or monster effect is allowed to interfere until after the battle phase is over, so you can't call upon your Legendary Knights to save your monster this time!"

"And by the time you could, it'll already be too late!" Dartz continued, as Yami's Dark Magician Girl fires its energy blast at his Divine Serpent. The Divine Serpent also fires its blue energy beam, destroying Yami's Dark Magician Girl in the process.

"End of the line for you, pharaoh!" But to Dartz's surprise, the Seal of Orichalcos did not reappear on the field to take Yami's soul.

"You misunderstood how my Relay Soul trap card works, Dartz." Yami said. "Just like your Divine Serpent, I will only lose if I can't bring back my Dark Magician Girl before my turn is over, and that goes for Mai's Harpy Dragon Warrior as well if it is destroyed, since she used my Relay Soul trap card to summon it."

"So what? It's not like you have a card in your hand that can bring your monster back!" Dartz countered.

"That's true, but you seem to forget that I still have a face down card on the field." Yami replied. "Now it's time for me to activate it: Rebirth Tablet! This trap card can only be activated the moment a monster is destroyed in battle, and brings it back on to the field right away, regardless of summoning conditions!"

Dartz growled in frustration as Yami's Dark Magician Girl reappeared on the field with 2300 atk points, having the additional 300 atk points gained from the Dark Magician in Yami's graveyard. "In that case, I'll activate _another_ one of my face down cards: Orichalcos Tablet!" Three giant sealing tablets immediately appear behind Legendary Knight Timaeus, Legendary Knight Critius, and Legendary Knight Hermos. The three tablet then light up, and Timaeus, Critius, and Hermos are immediately sucked into them.

"What have you done to our knights, Dartz?" Mai demanded.

Dartz laughed. "Confused, Ms. Valentine? This magic card allows me to seal up to three monsters on my opponents' side of the field, so I chose your legendary knights! Now that they are sealed within those tablets, they are no longer able to attack or activate their special abilities. On the other hand, I am still allowed to attack _them!"_

"Wrong, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "You forget it is still my turn, so I'll play the magic card Grief Tablet!" A fourth stone tablet appears on the field, then sucks Dartz's Divine Serpent out of its vortex, destroying the vortex in the process.

"What did you just do to my Divine Serpent, pharaoh?" Dartz demanded.

"_Two_ can play your monster trapping game, Dartz!" Yami shouted, as Dartz's Divine Serpent appears on the stone tablet. "Your Divine Serpent is now sealed away in my Grief Tablet, along with its special abilities!"

"So what? It's still on the field, which means I remain in the game." Dartz replied. "And in case you haven't noticed, it still has infinite attack strength!"

"That may well be, but as long as your Divine Serpent is sealed in that tablet, it will be unable to attack, which means your monster is now useless to you!" Yami countered.

"It looks like we all lost our most powerful monsters, Dartz." Mai observed, looking at the field in front of her. "You sealed away our Legendary Knights, the pharaoh sealed away your Divine Serpent!"

"Then I activate my last face down card: Whirlwind Dimension! This magic card must be played alongside Orichalcos Tablet. Then, for the monsters that my Orichalcos Tablet sealed away, my Whirlwind Dimension magic card will send them to another place!" Dartz explained, as the three tablets containing Legendary Knight Timaeus, Legendary Knight Critius, and Legendary Knight Hermos are lifted into the air.

"Our legendary knights! What are you doing to them?" Mai demanded.

"Oh relax, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. "Your legendary knights may have been sent off the field, but they aren't destroyed. Just take a look above you."

Yami and Mai looked up. Dartz was right. The three tablets are simply floating in the air. "All right, what do you hope to accomplish by doing that, Dartz?" Mai asked, confused.

Dartz pointed to the three stone tablets containing Timaeus, Critius, and Hermos. "As long as the stone tablets containing your Legendary Knights remain intact, the tablets containing your legendary knights will remain up there, no longer on the field, but not destroyed either. However, since they are no longer on the field, they can no longer be attacked by my monsters or your monsters, which means your Harpy Dragon Warrior and the pharaoh's Dark Magician Girl are now wide open to attack!"

"Fine, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "We've all lost our most powerful monsters. I guess it's back to basics then. So let the end phase continue!"


	41. Chapter 41

Sorry it's been so long. Anyway here's the chapter, courtesy of the real author, Ragnarok.

* * *

Chapter 41

Soul World

"Well, _this_ is certainly not good." Valon said. "Those three knights were the best chance at defeating Dartz, and now they're all gone!"

"Not gone, Valon, merely imprisoned." Joey replied. "And besides, the pharaoh sealed away Dartz's Divine Serpent as well. That is why the vortex disappeared, and why we can't see the battlefield anymore. But this is a good thing. Remember, right before we lost sight of the battlefield, we both heard that the pharaoh said that with the Divine Serpent sealed away, Dartz can't use its special powers anymore."

"True, but it is still on the field, which means the duel is still on." Valon pointed out. "And just because Dartz can no longer use his Divine Serpent doesn't mean he is no longer a threat. Remember, we both felt Dartz wouldn't be able to last very long with the loss of the three layers of the seal, but he held out just fine even _without_ them."

"That's true," Joey admitted. "I knew Dartz's deck would be built to be at its peak with the three layers of the seal, but you're right, Valon. I too did not believe that his deck would be useless without the layers of the Orichalcos, and it was just as I suspected."

"The one thing I did not expect was that your knights had the power to destroy the Seal of Orichalcos," Valon said. "Granted, we did not see it happen, but by the time we _did_ see the field again, Dartz had lost all three layers of the seal and the legendary dragons had been turned back into their human forms again. I don't think that was a mere coincidence."

"I know," Joey replied. "It _had_ to have been the legendary knights that destroyed the layers of the seal. There simply wasn't any other way."

Valon nodded. "Before that, I still stuck to my own statement when Mai dueled you in the Industrial Illusions building, which was that once the Seal of Orichalcos has been played, it would remain there until the duel is over. Because of that, I never had to worry about someone destroying the seal during a duel when I was still under the influence of the Orichalcos. Looks like every card has its weakness after all."

"Dartz's actions after losing the seal were pretty much what I had expected," Joey said. "I was afraid he would have a back up plan, but I always suspected one. His deck must have been built to challenge the legendary knights even if they _were_ restored into their human forms."

"So now what?" Valon asked. "Without the legendary knights, Mai is clearly at a disadvantage here. Dartz's Divine Serpent may be sealed away in that tablet, but it still has infinite atk points. Therefore, it is still not possible to destroy it in battle."

"True, but without its special powers, it is now vulnerable to magic and trap cards. And remember, without its special abilities, Dartz can't redirect monster effects away from his Divine Serpent to other monsters he has on the field anymore." Joey replied. "And without the third layer of the Orichalcos, Dartz can't negate magic and trap cards from destroying his Divine Serpent anymore. I'm sure the pharaoh and Mai will be able to pick up on that very quickly and use that to their advantage and end this duel once and for all."

"I hope you're right, Wheeler. I really do." Valon said, as their bubbles began to move towards the Great Leviathan's eye again. "Because we don't have much time left before we end up in the belly of the beast."

Dartz's Temple

"There's still nothing you can do, pharaoh." Dartz observed. "You and Ms. Valentine still have no monsters in your decks that can destroy my Divine Serpent. It may be sealed away in that stone tablet, but it still has infinite attack strength."

"That may well be," Yami replied. "But without its special abilities, your Divine Serpent is now vulnerable to magic and trap cards. Furthermore, it can no longer redirect monster effects that are to destroy it to other monsters on your side of the field. So, all Mai and I have to do is destroy that tablet in any way besides in battle, and this duel is done!"

"I'd like to see you try, pharaoh!" Dartz challenged. "Now, finish your move!"

"I play the magic card: Magician's Sanctuary!" Yami announced. "This is a continuous magic card, and it allows me to special summon a magician type monster every turn, whether it is from my hand, deck, graveyard, or removed from play, and this can be done regardless of summoning conditions!"

"Now, I'll use the power of Magician's Sanctuary to special summon my Skilled White Magician to the field!" Yami continued. "And since this was my special summon, I still have my normal summon left, so I'll summon my Skilled Dark Magician to the field as well!"

"Those monsters mean nothing, pharaoh." Dartz replied, as Skilled White Magician (1700 atk) and Skilled Dark Magician (1900 atk) appeared on the field.

"We'll see, Dartz!" Yami countered. "Now, I'll place one card face down on the field and end my turn."

"And what do you think you can do with those monsters, pharaoh? They can't intercept my attack, so they are nothing more than a waste of space to you." Dartz observed.

"Well with our legendary knights sealed away in your Orichalcos Tablet and sent off the field, Mai and I now have room to summon more monsters to the field anyway!" Yami countered. "Eventually, one of us will summon one to the field to destroy your Divine Serpent! And even if we can't, we'll still destroy it with a magic or trap card!"

"By then the two of you will have long lost your souls," Dartz replied. "Speaking of which, Ms. Valentine here is about to be dueling alone after this turn."

"You've got no monsters on the field besides your Divine Serpent, Dartz." Mai countered. "And it can't do anything anyway, which makes your Divine Serpent Destructor Force magic card's effects useless to you. And while your Whirlwind Dimension magic card has indeed sealed away our legendary knights in those stone tablets, the two of us are still standing!"

"I doubt my Divine Serpent is absolutely necessary in order to finish off the two of you," Dartz replied. "Now, I summon my Orichalcos Centaur to the field!" A huge man beast creature holding a giant axe appears on the field and roars at Yami and Mai.

"That monster only has 1900 atk points. What do you intend to do with that?" Mai scoffed.

Dartz laughed. "You should know by now that things are never what they appear to be, Ms. Valentine. My Orichalcos Centaur has a special ability, just like all of my monsters. If summoned successfully in any way, it can automatically destroy a monster on the field, as long as the monster I choose to destroy has less atk points than my Orichalcos Centaur, so I choose the pharaoh's Dark Magician Girl!"

"You can't!" Yami protested. "My Dark Magician Girl has 2300 atk points, above that of your Orichalcos Centaur!"

"Wrong, pharaoh." Dartz replied. "I play the magic card: Beast Retribution! This magic card only works on beast type monsters, like my Orichalcos Centaur, and gives them an additional 1000 atk points!"

"So it looks like I'll be able to destroy your monster after all, pharaoh!" Dartz continued, as Orichalcos Centaur's atk increased to 2900. "Orichalcos Centaur, activate your special ability and destroy the pharaoh's Dark Magician Girl!" Orichalcos Centaur roars, then hurls its ax at Dark Magician Girl.

"Not so fast, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "I activate my face down card: Magical Academy! This magic card works on both magicians and non-magician type monsters. If it is used on a non-magician type monster, that monster will escape harm and I can then summon a magician type monster from my hand, ignoring summoning conditions, and give it 500 extra atk points. If used on a magician type monster, such as my Dark Magician Girl, my monster will also escape harm for one phase!"

Dark Magician Girl disappears from the field, as Orichalcos Centaur's ax struck nothing. "After that, my monster will then return, and gain an additional 500 atk points!" Yami explained, as Dark Magician Girl reappears on the field, its 2300 atk raised to 2800.

"Actually pharaoh, I had wanted you to do that." Dartz replied. "You see, my Orichalcos Centaur is still the stronger monster here, and now that you have no more face down cards left, I can now finish you off! Orichalcos Centaur, destroy his Dark Magician Girl!" Orichalcos Centaur picks up its axe and hurls it at Dark Magician Girl.

"Wrong, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "My Magician Academy magic card has a second effect. If used on a magician type monster, I can automatically send a magic card of any kind I want from my deck to my hand and activate it right away, and I choose my Book of Secret Arts magic card!"

Dark Magician Girl's atk suddenly increases from 2800 to 3100. "The Book of Secret Arts increases the atk strength of a magician type monster on my side of the field by 300 points, and I choose my Dark Magician Girl!"

Dartz clenched his fist in frustration as his Orichalcos Centaur is destroyed. "No matter, I'll _still_ get something out of this! When my Orichalcos Centaur is destroyed, I can automatically send one magic or trap card from my deck right into my hand. Next, I'll play two cards face down."

"Then allow me to take over!" Mai shouted, drawing her card. "First I'll summon my Mystical Elf in defense mode, then I'll play the magic card: Graceful Charity, allowing me to draw three cards then discard two." As Mystical Elf appeared on the field (2000 def), she smiled. "It's time to destroy your Divine Serpent, Dartz!"

"With what? You have nothing to do so with!" Dartz insisted.

"I do now!" Mai shouted. "I play the magic card: Fissure! This card will randomly choose the weakest monster on your side of the field and destroy it. But since you only have one, it'll just destroy that monster! And since it's sealed in that tablet, your Divine Serpent can now be destroyed by my magic card this time!"

"Think again, Ms. Valentine!" Dartz countered. "I activate my face down card: Martyr Swap! This trap card works when one of my monsters is targeted by a magic card. It allows me to change the target to one of the monsters on _your_ side of the field instead!"

Mai's Mystical Elf is destroyed. "And had you not summoned that monster first, you would have been finished, Ms. Valentine." Dartz continued. "After all, it is weaker than your Harpy Dragon Warrior, and Fissure has to target the weakest monster first."

"I'll play a card face down. That will do for now." Mai said in dismay, inserting a card into her duel disk.

"Now, 3 magic cards have been played since I summoned my Skilled White Magician and Skilled Dark Magician to the field: Beast Retribution, Graceful Charity, and Fissure. This means both of my magicians now have 3 spell counters placed on them." Yami observed. "So now, I'll sacrifice my two magicians!"

"What are you planning, pharaoh?" Mai asked.

"Just watch, Mai." Yami replied. "By sacrificing my Skilled Dark Magician with 3 spell counters on it, I can now special summon Dark Magician to the field, regardless of whether it is in my hand, deck, or graveyard."

Dark Magician (2500 atk) appeared on the field, and Dark Magician Girl's atk decreased to 2800. "Similarly, by sacrificing my Skilled White Magician with 3 spell counters on it, I can now special summon my Buster Blader to the field, regardless of whether it is in my hand, deck, or graveyard as well!" Yami explained. As Buster Blader appeared on the field (2600 atk), he continued, "Now, I play my Polymerization magic card to fuse my new monster together. Now rise, Dark Paladin!"

"Oh, _please,"_ Dartz scoffed. "That means nothing. Your Dark Paladin only has 2900 atk points. It can't accomplish anything."

"We'll see!" Yami countered. "My Dark Paladin gains 500 atk points for every dragon type monster on the field and in the graveyard, and that includes Kaiser Glider, Different Dimension Dragon, and Mirror Force Dragon!"

As Dark Paladin's atk increased to 4400, Yami continued, "And since my Dark Magician has been sent to the graveyard again by forming Dark Paladin with Buster Blader, my Dark Magician Girl gains back the 300 atk points!"

"So what?" Dartz observed, as Dark Magician Girl's atk increased to 3100. "Neither one is strong enough to destroy my Divine Serpent anyway!"

"Who said I brought out my Dark Paladin to _attack_ you with?" Yami replied.

"You didn't? Then what are you planning, pharaoh?" Mai asked, confused.

"Quite simple, Mai." Yami replied. "The Skilled White Magician and Skilled Dark Magician I sacrificed and sent to my graveyard were monsters of a light and dark attributes. So now, I can special summon _this_ monster: Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning!"

"But if that's the case, why do you even _need_ your Dark Paladin?" Mai asked, as Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning (3000 atk) appeared on the field. "I understand that Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning can only be special summoned by removing one light attribute and one dark attribute monster from your graveyard from play, but I still don't quite see your strategy."

"That is because my Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning has two special abilities: one of them is when it destroys a monster in battle, it can attack a second time. The other is the ability to remove one monster on the field from play, and I choose Divine Serpent!" Yami explained. "Now, this means by Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning will be unable to attack this turn, but that won't matter! For as soon as this special ability is activated, this duel is over!"

"Go ahead, activate your monster's special ability!" Dartz challenged, pointing to his remaining face down card. _"That_ card will render your strategy useless!"

Yami smiled. "I doubt that, Dartz. My Dark Paladin has a special ability as well. If you activate a magic card and I discard one card from my hand while Dark Paladin is on the field, my Dark Paladin will negate that magic card's effect and destroy it!"

"Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning, rid of the field of his Divine Serpent and end this duel!" Yami ordered. Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning's sword lit up, then fires a beam of light at Dartz's Divine Serpent, still sealed away in Yami's Grief Tablet.

"Wrong again, pharaoh!" Dartz laughed. "I _knew_ from the moment you summoned your Skilled White Magician and your Skilled Dark Magician that you were going to try to get your Dark Magician and your Buster Blader onto the field! And I also knew that you were going to fuse them together to form Dark Paladin, which would allow you to negate my magic cards! That is why my face down card is a _trap_ card instead!"

"Now I'll activate it: Pillars of Fire! This trap card is used whenever one of my monsters is about to be sent off the field in any way, like what is about to happen now. Then, if it is a magic or trap card, I can automatically destroy it. If it is a monster, I can automatically destroy that monster!"

"Well I have a back up plan, Dartz!" Yami shouted, as his Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning is destroyed. "You seem to forget, my Magician's Sanctuary is still on the field, and I haven't used its effect yet!"

"_Now_ what are you planning, pharaoh?" Dartz demanded.

"I use the power of my Magician's Sanctuary to special summon my Chaos Sorcerer to the field!" Yami shouted. As the 2300 atk pt monster appeared on the field, he continued, "Normally, this monster can only be special summoned the same way as my Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the End is summoned: by removing one light attribute and one dark attribute monster in my graveyard from play, but not with the help of my Magician's Sanctuary!"

"So what? It's too weak to do anything anyway!" Dartz replied.

"That's what _you_ think, Dartz!" Yami countered. "My Chaos Sorcerer has the exact same special ability as my Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning does: I can remove one monster on the field from play if my Chaos Sorcerer doesn't attack this turn! And now that you have no more face down cards left, your Divine Serpent is finished!"

"Chaos Sorcerer, destroy his Divine Serpent!" Yami ordered. Chaos Sorcerer's hands light up, then fires a blast of energy at the tablet containing Dartz's Divine Serpent.

But suddenly, a wall suddenly appears in front of the tablet, and Chaos Sorcerer and Dark Paladin are destroyed. "What! How did you create that wall?" Yami demanded.

Dartz laughed. "My Pillars of Fire trap card has another effect, pharaoh. If it is activated, it allows me to activate a trap card from my hand, and I chose the trap card: Spirit Mirage! This trap card works when my opponent has 3 or more monsters on the field, and allows me to destroy up to two monsters on the field right away! However, I am only allowed to choose _one_ of them. The other is randomly chosen. I chose your Chaos Sorcerer, and you were fortunate that my trap card didn't choose your Dark Magician Girl."

Yami clenched his fist in frustration. "I'll play one card face down on the field and end my turn."

"Then allow me take over!" Dartz announced. "My Spirit Mirage trap card has another effect as well. After activation, I am allowed to special summon a monster from my graveyard, as long it has no more than 1000 atk points, so I choose my Orichalcos Gigas!"

"Not _this_ again!" Mai exclaimed, as Orichalcos Gigas appears on the field in defense position (400 atk, 1500 def).

Dartz laughed. "You should be honored to see my Orichalcos Gigas again, Ms. Valentine. Besides, I'm not going to attack with it anyway since it only has 400 atk points. It may gain 500 extra atk points every time it is destroyed in battle, by magic card, or by trap card, but that will take too long anyway. I have something else in mind."

"What are you planning, Dartz?" Yami demanded.

"Since I have my normal summon left, I'll sacrifice my Orichalcos Gigas to summon Orichalcos Gigas #2!" Dartz announced, as Orichalcos Gigas disappears from the field, and an even bigger brown beast takes its place.

"I'm not amused, Dartz." Yami observed. "Your Orichalcos Gigas #2 only has 2300 atk points, too weak for my Dark Magician Girl or Mai's Harpy Dragon Warrior!"

"That's what _you_ think, pharaoh!" Dartz countered. "Orichalcos Gigas #2 has a special ability that adds half of the atk and def points of the monster sacrificed to summon it, so it now gains 950 atk points!"

Orichalcos Gigas #2's atk increases to 3250. "And your Dark Magician Girl only has 3100 atk points, so it's time for her to leave the field. Orichalcos Gigas #2, destroy the pharaoh's Dark Magician Girl!" Dartz ordered. "This duel is over for you, pharaoh!"

"Stop right there!" Yami shouted. "I activate my face down card: Mirror Tablet!" A giant mirror immediately materializes on the field, then shatters. "This trap only works when a monster has been sacrificed. Then, half of that monster's total atk points are added to one of _my_ monster's atk points, and I choose my Dark Magician Girl!"

"Since your Orichalcos Gigas only had 400 atk points when it was sacrificed, my Dark Magician Girl only gains 200 atk points, but that's enough to overcome your Orichalcos Gigas #2!" Yami shouted, as Dark Magician Girl's atk increases to 3300.

"Dark Magician Girl, counterattack and destroy his Orichalcos Gigas #2!" Yami ordered. Dark Magician Girl's staff lights up, then fires a pink beam of energy at Orichalcos Gigas #2, engulf Dartz's side of the field in smoke.

But when the smoke cleared, Orichalcos Gigas #2 remained standing on the field. "As you can see, Orichalcos Gigas #2 has a second special ability: it cannot be destroyed by monsters in battle." Dartz explained.

"Fine, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "In the meantime, I'll activate the second effect of my Mirror Tablet trap card. By removing the atk points the monster gained from my trap card, I am allowed to set one magic or trap card from my hand face down on the field."

"And while you do that pharaoh, _I'll_ rid the field of his Orichalcos Gigas #2!" Mai shouted, as a face down card materialized on Yami's side of the field, and Dark Magician Girl's atk decreases to 3100. "I activate my face down card: Earthshaker!"

"What are you planning, Mai?" Yami asked.

"This trap card is another one compliments of Joey," Mai replied. "Here's how it works, Dartz: this trap only works when you have two or more attribute monsters on your side of the field. You must choose one, and Earthshaker will destroy every monster on your side of the field that that attribute. Your Orichalcos Gigas #2 is an Earth attribute, and your Divine Serpent is a Divine attribute, so my Earthshaker trap works in this case. And since you'll automatically lose if you choose your Divine Serpent, you have no choice but to allow me to destroy your Orichalcos Gigas #2 instead!"

Dartz grunted in disgust. "So be it. Orichalcos Gigas #2, be gone!" A pit opens up beneath Orichalcos Gigas #2, destroying it in the process.

"Now, I'll activate another special ability of Orichalcos Gigas #2," Dartz announced, as Orichalcos Gigas (400 atk) suddenly appears on the field. "If Orichalcos Gigas #2 is destroyed by a magic or trap card, the original Orichalcos Gigas is immediately summoned in its place!"

"I'll place two cards face down on the field. Then I'll activate the magic card: Orichalcos Monster Selection! This card allows me to select one type of monster from my hand, deck, or graveyard. After that, I'm allowed to summon up to three monsters of that type right to the field, as long as the monster has no more than 2000 atk points." Dartz continued, inserting the card into his dark duel disk.

"I choose the attribute of fire, and summon my three Orichalcos Belligerences!" Dartz announced, as the three 1800 atk points fire beasts appeared on the field. "Of course, the two of you are allowed to do the same thing, so let's have it."

"Then I choose winged beast! This allows me to special summon my two Harpie Girls in my deck, as well as the one in my graveyard!" Mai announced, as the three Harpie Girls appeared on the field (500 atk). "Then I'll play the magic card: the Warrior Returning Alive! This allows me to bring a warrior type monster from my graveyard back into my hand."

"And I choose rock! Now I can summon Alpha the Magnet Warrior, Beta the Magnet Warrior, and Gamma the Magnet Warrior to the field!" Yami announced, as Alpha the Magnet Warrior (1400 atk), Beta the Magnet Warrior (1700 atk), and Gamma the Magnet Warrior (1500 atk) appeared on the field.

"It's time for me to end this duel and save Joey!" Mai shouted, raising a card into the air.

"And how do you plan on doing that? All of your monsters are too weak to do anything." Dartz observed.

Mai smiled. "Did you forget that the three Harpie Girls I summoned from your magic card are special summons, Dartz? This means I still have my normal summon left."

"Is that supposed to intimidate me, Ms. Valentine?" Dartz asked sarcastically.

"It will when I do _this!"_ Mai shouted. "You seemed to have forgotten that I now have a warrior monster in my hand thanks to my Warrior Returning Alive magic card, and now it's time to summon it!"

"Now, I sacrifice all three of my Harpie Girls! This allows me to summon one of Joey's strongest monsters: Gilford the Lightning!" Mai announced, as the three Harpie Girls disappear from the field, and Gilford the Lightning summoned in its place (2800 atk).

"This duel is over, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "If Gilford the Lightning is summoned by sacrificing three monsters, it destroys all of the monsters on the opponent's side of the field! And that means your three Orichalcos Belligerences and your Divine Serpent will now be gone! And thanks to my Grief Tablet magic card, your Divine Serpent sealed within it can't defend itself, so you have no way to stopping Gilford the Lightning's special ability!"

Dartz laughed. "I don't have to, pharaoh! I activate one of my face down cards: Talent and Curse! This trap card is activated when my opponent activates a monster's special ability. Now, after I sacrifice one monster on my side of the field, Talent and Curse allows me to take control of the monster that is activating that special ability, so your Gilford the Lightning belongs to _me_ now, Ms. Valentine!"

Mai clenched her fist in anger as Gilford the Lightning moved to Dartz's side of the field, taking the place of Orichalcos Gigas that Dartz sacrificed. "And that's not all, Ms. Valentine. I should thank you for allowing _me_ to win this duel!" Dartz continued.

"What are you talking about, Dartz?" Mai demanded.

"Talent and Curse has another effect, the monster that I take control of will still activate its special ability. And since Gilford the Lightning is now on my side of the field, it will now destroy all the monsters on _your_ side of the field, including your Harpy Dragon Warrior and the pharaoh's Dark Magician Girl!" Dartz replied.

"The time has come! Gilford the Lightning, destroy all of their monsters and bring their souls to me!" Dartz shouted. Gilford the Lightning's sword lit up, and dozens of beams of lightning rain down upon Yami and Mai's monsters, engulfing their side of the field in smoke. The Seal of Orichalcos immediately reappears on the field again, then splits into two and began to shrink around Yami and Mai's positions.


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42

"End of the line for you two!" Dartz said, as the Seal of Orichalcos continued to shrink around Yami and Mai's positions.

But suddenly, the two seals that Dartz was expecting to take Yami's soul and Mai's soul shattered. When the smoke cleared, Mai was still standing, along with her Harpy Dragon Warrior. Yami was in the same condition, his Dark Magician Girl and his three magnet warriors completely unharmed.

"What! How did the two of you escape?" Dartz demanded.

"Did you forget about the face down card I set from my Mirror Tablet's effect, Dartz?" Yami replied. "That face down card was the magic card: Spider Web! This card allows me to activate a magic or trap card in someone else's graveyard, and I chose one of Mai's trap cards: Harpy's Feather Storm!"

"And since this trap card negates the effects of a monster for one turn, Gilford the Lightning's special ability must now deactivate." Yami continued.

"Well I _still_ gained something in the end, pharaoh!" Dartz countered. "The Talent and Curse trap card I activated doesn't just allow me to take control of one of your monsters for one turn, it allows me to control it _permanently,_ so Gilford the Lightning remains with me!"

Mai clutched her fist in anger. "I'll place two cards face down and end my turn for now."

"You two will never win this," Dartz insisted. "My Divine Serpent may still be sealed up in the Grief Tablet, but I still have my three Orichalcos Belligerences, as well as my newly acquired Gilford the Lightning for defend me!"

"Not for long, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "Now, since my 3 magnet warriors are all on the front lines together, I can now sacrifice them to summon _this_ monster: Valkyrion the Magna Warrior!" The three magnet warriors disappear from the field, and Valkyrion the Magna Warrior (3500 atk) appeared in their place.

"And your trap cards are becoming a pest lately, so I'll change that!" Yami continued. "Now, I'll use the power of my Magician's Sanctuary to bring out _this_ magician: my Sorcerer of Dark Magic! And thanks to its special ability, I can negate the activation of your trap cards and destroy them!"

"Your Sorcerer of Dark Magic may be strong, buy I'll rid the field of him in no time!" Dartz observed, and Sorcerer of Dark Magic (3200 atk) appears on the field. "Your army of magicians means nothing, pharaoh. The only thing you are doing properly right now is using your Magician's Sanctuary to its strongpoint. Under normal conditions, Sorcerer of Dark Magic can only be special summoned by sacrificing two 6-star or higher magician type monsters on your side of the field."

"You won't be targeting my Sorcerer of Dark Magic, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "Now, since Valkyrion the Magna Warrior and Sorcerer of Dark Magic were my special summons, I still have my normal summon left. So I'll summon this: Magician's Valkyria!"

"Oh, _please,"_ Dartz observed. "Is your new Dark Magician Girl look-alike supposed to scare me, pharaoh? It only has 1600 atk points, too weak for my monsters! And I'm fully aware of what your Magician's Valkyria can do. I know all about your encounter with Anubis after Battle City."

"Then you must know that thanks to my Magician's Valkyria's special ability, you cannot attack any other magician on my side of the field, which will ensure the safety of my Sorcerer of Dark Magic, as well as my Dark Magician Girl!" Yami explained.

"I think not, pharaoh." Dartz replied. "With only 1600 atk points, I can easily destroy it, and then your Dark Magician Girl will be vulnerable once again!"

"That's what _you_ think!" Yami countered. "Now, I activate the magic card: Spirit Illusion! This allows me to create an exact replica of any monster I have on the field, and I choose Magician's Valkyria!"

As a second Magician's Valkyria appeared on the field, Yami continued, "And just like the original Magician's Valkyria, my duplicate Magician's Valkyria has all its special abilities!"

"Big deal," Dartz observed. "All this means is that your Dark Magician Girl, Sorcerer of Dark Magic, and both of your Magician's Valkyrias cannot be attacked by my monsters. It still won't save you!"

"We'll see!" Yami shouted. "Now, Sorcerer of Dark Magic, destroy his Gilford the Lightning!" Sorcerer of Dark Magic's staff lit up, then fires a rainbow beam of energy at Gilford the Lightning, destroying it in the process.

"Valkyrion the Magna Warrior and Dark Magician Girl, destroy two of his Orichalcos Belligerences!" Yami ordered. Valkyrion the Magna Warrior's sword and Dark Magician Girl's staff both lit up, then fires two blasts of energies and destroy Dartz's two Orichalcos Belligerences in the process.

"And now, my duplicate Magician's Valkyria will attack the last one!" Yami shouted.

Dartz laughed. "You seem to forget that your Magician's Valkyria is 200 atk points weaker than my Orichalcos Belligerence, pharaoh."

"That's where my Sprit Illusion magic card comes in," Yami explained. "It happens only when the replica monster created from it attacks a monster that is stronger than itself. It will allow my replica monster to escape harm, and deduct its own atk points from the monster it just attacked."

The duplicate Magician's Valkyria launched its fireball at Orichalcos Belligerence, decreasing Dartz's monster to 200 atk points.

"And now that your Orichalcos Belligerence is down to only 200 atk points, my original Magician's Valkyria will destroy it now!" Yami replied. Magician's Valkyria launches its fireball, destroying Orichalcos Belligerence in the process.

"And now I'll activate my remaining face down card: Orichalcos Chaos Force!" Dartz shouted. "This magic card is activated after the battle phase is over, which is exactly what happened here, since all five of your monsters have attacked, pharaoh. Now, Orichalcos Chaos Force will now force your two strongest monsters to attack your two weakest monsters. And since my Magician's Valkyria can only protect your magicians against _my_ monster attacks, their special abilities won't activate and thus cannot help you!"

Yami's Sorcerer of Dark Magic's staff immediately lit up, as did Valkyrion the Magna Warrior's sword. Both monsters launch their attacks, destroying Yami's two Magician's Valkyrias in the process.

"I'll place one card face down and end my turn," Yami observed, sliding the card into his duel disk. "I still have the advantage here, Dartz! My Sorcerer of Dark Magic is still on the field, and its special ability will still prevent you from activating trap cards!"

"That'll change," Dartz replied, drawing his card. "Now, I summon Orichalcos Revenant to the field!" A dark skeleton, its eyes glowing green with dark energy radiating from its body, appeared on the field.

"Now, you two may think my 1200 atk point monster can't do anything, but that's disregarding its special ability. Orichalcos Revenant has the ability for me to take control of one monster your side of the field and attack another monster on your side of the field, and I choose your Sorcerer of Dark Magic!" Dartz announced, as Sorcerer of Dark Magic moved over to his side of the field.

"Time to say goodbye to your soul, pharaoh. Sorcerer of Dark Magic, destroy the pharaoh's Dark Magician Girl!" Dartz ordered, as Sorcerer of Dark Magic's staff lit up.

"I activate one of my face down cards: Offerings to the Doomed!" Mai shouted. "This magic card allows me to destroy one monster on the field right away, and I choose Sorcerer of Dark Magic!" A giant hole opens up from beneath the ground, and Yami's Sorcerer of Dark Magic is sucked into it.

Dartz laughed. "Well now that your Sorcerer of Dark Magic is gone, I can activate trap cards again, pharaoh! So, I'll play two cards face down and end my turn."

"Then I'll rid the field of your Orichalcos Revenant!" Mai shouted. "Since I just activated Offerings to the Doomed, I can't draw a card this turn, but I have what I need in my hand. Now, I summon my Amazoness Blowpiper to the field!" As the Amazon warrior appeared on the field (800 atk), she continued, "Now I'll activate the special ability of my Amazoness Blowpiper. It allows me to decrease the atk strength of one monster one your side of the field by 500 points for this turn, and I choose Orichalcos Revenant!"

Orichalcos Revenant's atk decreases to 700. "And now that my Amazoness Blowpiper is the stronger monster, I'll destroy it!"

"I think not, Ms. Valentine!" Dartz countered, as Amazoness Blowpiper's attack approached his Orichalcos Revenant. "I activate my face down card: Martyr's Blindness! This trap card is activated when one of my monsters is being attacked by one of yours. It allows me to change the target to a different monster on your side of the field, and I choose your Harpy Dragon Warrior!"

"Oh, and there's one more thing. If the new target is stronger your own monster, Marty's Blindness will cause _both_ monsters to be destroyed in the process, so your life saving monster is about to be gone, Ms. Valentine!" Dartz announced, and Amazoness Blowpiper launched its attack at Harpy Dragon Warrior.

"Not just yet, Dartz!" Mai countered. "You forget I still have one face down card on the field, which I will now activate: Dramatic Rescue! This trap card can only work on Amazon monsters, like my Amazoness Blowpiper. It activates if one of my Amazon monsters is targeted by a card and allows me bring my Amazon monster back into my hand. After that, I'm allowed to special summon another monster to the field right away!"

"Now I call my Amazoness Fighter to the field!" Mai announced, as another Amazon monster appeared on the field (1300 atk).

"Is that supposed to scare me? The only special ability of your Amazoness Fighter is that if destroyed in battle, you don't lose LP, which is useless in the condition that you are in!" Dartz scoffed.

"Maybe not, but it _will_ destroy your Orichalcos Revenant!" Mai countered. Amazoness Fighter launches its attack, and Orichalcos Revenant is destroyed. "Then I'll place one card face down and end my turn."

"It's time to end this, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "Now, I use the power of Magician's Sanctuary to special summon my Cybernetic Magician to the field!" At this point, a bright hole opens up from the ground, and a crystal like magician floats out of it.

"That monster only has 2400 atk points, too weak for my Divine Serpent." Dartz observed.

"Wrong, Dartz!" Yami countered. "My Cybernetic Magician has a special ability too. By discarding one card from my hand, I can change the atk strength of one monster on the field to 2000 for this turn, and I choose your Divine Serpent!"

"And even though your Divine Serpent is sealed away in my Grief Tablet, it _can_ still be attacked, so my Cybernetic Magician will end this duel _right now!"_ Yami shouted, as Cybernetic Magician fires its energy blast at Dartz's Divine Serpent.

"Always one step behind, pharaoh," Dartz laughed. "Now, I activate my other face down card: Martyr's Mirror Shield! This trap card allows me the change the attack to a different target. Then the new target will be destroyed regardless of its attack strength!"

"I choose the change your Cybernetic Magician's target to Ms. Valentine's Harpy Dragon Warrior!" Dartz announced, as the energy blast from Cybernetic Magician immediately moved away from his Divine Serpent, still sealed away in the stone tablet.

"Mai!" Yami cried. _I don't have any to stop my magician's attack! If it goes through, she'll lose her soul!_

"I activate my face down card: Shift!" Mai announced. "This trap card is activated when one of my monsters is targeted by a monster attack, magic or trap card, and allows me to change the target to another monster on my side of the field, and I choose my Amazoness Fighter!"

"I may have lost my Amazoness Fighter in the process, but this duel is still on!" Mai shouted, as Amazoness Fighter is destroyed.

But suddenly, Cybernetic Magician is also destroyed. "What did you do to my magician, Dartz?" Yami demanded.

Dartz laughed. "Martyr's Mirror Shield comes with another effect, pharaoh. If the new target that I redirected the attack to is not destroyed, then the monster that launched its attack is destroyed instead! After that, I'm allowed to special summon another monster to the field, so I choose to bring back my Orichalcos Death Dealer!"

"I was hoping you'd do that, Dartz!" Yami shouted, as the 2900 atk point black beast appeared on the field. "Now I can activate _my_ face down card: Bottomless Trap Hole! This trap works whenever a monster is summoned to the field. Then, if the monster has 1500 atk points or more, Bottomless Trap Hole allows me to destroy the monster immediately and remove it from play!"

At this point a giant hole opened up beneath Orichalcos Death Dealer and sucked the beast into it. "So what? You still didn't succeed in destroying my Divine Serpent!" Dartz insisted.

"That's where you're wrong, Dartz." Yami replied. "You see, even though you destroyed my Cybernetic Magician with your Martyr's Mirror Shield trap card, you _weren't_ able to stop it from activating its special ability before it got destroyed, so until my turn is over, your Divine Serpent, which is still sealed in that stone tablet of mine, still has only 2000 atk points!"

"And in case you've forgotten, my Valkyrion the Magna Warrior is still on the field! And now that you have no more face down cards left, it's time to finish this duel!" Yami continued, as Valkyrion the Magna Warrior leapt forward and launches its attack on Dartz's Divine Serpent.

But suddenly, Orichalcos Death Dealer reappears on the field, and Valkyrion the Magna Warrior destroys _it_ instead. "What? How did you bring your Orichalcos Death Dealer when it is still my turn?" Yami demanded.

Dartz laughed. "My Orichalcos Death Dealer has a second special ability, pharaoh. If it is destroyed by a magic or trap card, I can automatically special summon it back to the field right away even if the card that destroyed it is supposed to remove it from the game. In return I must decrease my Orichalcos Death Dealer's attack strength by 700 points once it is special summoned. And since you weren't expecting that summon, your Valkyrion the Magna Warrior's attack was intercepted by my monster!"

"Well now that it's been destroyed, you can't bring it back this time!" Yami shouted. "So I _still_ got something out of that last attack!"

"Actually, you just lost a strong monster in the process, pharaoh." Dartz replied. "Orichalcos Death Dealer has a third special ability. If it is destroyed by a monster in battle, the monster that destroyed it will be destroyed as well!"

Yami covered his eyes as Valkyrion the Magna Warrior is destroyed, leaving him with only Dark Magician Girl. "Well I have a back up plan, Dartz!" he shouted. "First, since my Cybernetic Magician was a special summon, I still have my normal summon left, so I'll summon my Mystical Elf to the field in defense mode!" As the 2000 def point elf appeared on the field, Yami continued, "Now, I play the magic card: Magical Dimension!"

At this point, a steel cage immediately materialized on the field. "This card can only work when I have a magician type monster on my side of the field, and my Dark Magician Girl will suffice for that. After that, I can special summon a magician type monster from my hand directly to the field as long as I sacrifice a monster on my side of the field, and I choose my Mystical Elf!"

"This won't work on me, pharaoh!" Dartz insisted. "That cheap trick of yours may have worked on defeating Marik in Battle City, but I'm in a different level!"

"From the power of my Magical Dimension, I now summon my Dark Magician of Chaos to the field!" Yami shouted, as the magician statue chained within the steel cage disappeared, and his Dark Magician of Chaos appears in its place (2800 atk).

"I don't understand, pharaoh." Mai observed. "The Dark Magician of Chaos only removes the monsters it destroyed from the game. And if your magician is somehow sent off the field, it is also removed from the game."

"It's not the Dark Magician of Chaos, Mai." Yami replied. "It's the last effect of my Magical Dimension. If the magician I special summoned to the field is successful, then I can automatically destroy one monster on the opponent's side of the field, and with Dartz's Divine Serpent still sealed away in my Grief Tablet, it will be destroyed!" At this point, a beam of light energy immediately materialized from the air, hitting the tablet containing Dartz's Divine Serpent.

But when the energy blast subsided, the tablet remained on the field, completely unharmed. "What? How did you prevent your Divine Serpent from being destroyed, Dartz?" Yami demanded. "You have no face down cards left!"

Dartz laughed. "My Martyr's Mirror Shield protects me from _all_ attacks this turn, pharaoh, not just monster attacks. If a magic card is used to destroy one of my monsters, Martyr's Mirror Shield will deactivate that effect."

"I'll play three cards face down and end my turn," Yami said, sighing in dismay.

"Now, I play the magic card: Orichalcos Eruption!" Dartz announced, as a volcano materialized onto the field. "This card allows me to release the power of my Orichalcos Inferno Golems!" Three giant fire statue-like beasts immediately appear on the field and roar at Yami and Mai (3200 atk each).

"Like my other monsters, my Orichalcos Inferno Golems have special abilities too. For when they are summoned, each of them increases my LP by 400!" (Dartz's LP: 1200).

"Confused? Allow me to explain. This now serves as my back up. Since I now have LP again, the two of you can't win even if you _do_ destroy my Divine Serpent!" Dartz explained.

"So your Divine Serpent has to be destroyed _while your LP are at 0."_ Mai realized.

"Very observant, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. "And since your Dark Magician Girl only has 3100 atk points, I'll finish her off!" One of the Orichalcos Inferno Golems opens its chest and shoots out a fireball at Yami's Dark Magician Girl.

"Hold on, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "I activate one of my face down cards: Soul Resurrection! This trap card allows me to bring back any monster from the graveyard I want and place it in defense position, as long the monster I choose to revive has no special abilities, so I choose my Dark Magician!"

As Dark Magician reappeared on the field (2100 def), it effectively blocked the fireball launched by Orichalcos Inferno Golem, and Dark magician Girl's atk decreased to 2800. "My Dark Magician may have been destroyed, but I'm still in the game!" Yami continued. Dark Magician is destroyed, and Dark Magician Girl's atk increased to 3100 again.

"Then my other two will do the job," Dartz replied, as his second Orichalcos Inferno Golem launches its fireball at Dark Magician Girl.

"I activate my second face down card: Rising Energy! This trap card allows me to increase the attack points of one face up monster on my field of the field by 1500, as long as I discard one card from my hand, and I choose my Dark Magician Girl!" Yami explained.

Dark Magician Girl's atk increases to 4600, and she pushed back the fireball launched at her, destroying the Orichalcos Inferno Golem in the process and causing 1400 points of damage to Dartz. (Dartz's LP: 0) "And now that you have 0 LP again, as soon as Mai and I destroy your Divine Serpent, this duel is over!" Yami shouted.

"In that case, I'll just destroy your Dark Magician of Chaos with my last Orichalcos Inferno Golem." Dartz observed. The last Orichalcos Inferno Golem launched its fireball, destroying Yami's Dark Magician of Chaos in the process.

"Then _I'll_ rid the field of your new monsters!" Mai shouted. "You have three monsters and I have one. This allows me to special summon _another_ one of Joey's monsters to the field: The Fiend Megacyber!" As the 2200 atk point monster appeared on the field, she continued, "Next I'll activate Pump Up! This magic card allows me to double the attack strength of one monster on my side of the field, and I choose the Fiend Megacyber!"

The Fiend Megacyber's attack increases to 4400. "Now Fiend Megacyber and Harpy Dragon Warrior, destroy his two Orichalcos Inferno Golems!" Mai ordered. The two monsters launch their attacks, and Dartz's two Orichalcos Inferno Golems are destroyed.

"Big mistake, Ms. Valentine!" Dartz said. "If Orichalcos Inferno Golem is destroyed in battle on my opponent's turn, its special ability activates, which transfers a magic card from my deck directly to my hand. And since you just destroyed _both_ of them, it'll transfer _two_ magic cards from my deck to my hand."

"So what? Those two magic cards are the only cards you have in your hand anyway!" Mai countered.

"That's true, but they represent the end for the two of you," Dartz replied. "You see, the magic cards transferred from my deck to my hand can be activated right away, even though it's still your turn, Ms. Valentine!"

"Now, I play the magic card: Orichalcos Hailstorm!" Dartz announced, as fragments of ice shower Yami and Mai's side of the field. "This magic card allows to draw five cards, as well as destroy every monster on your side of the field, so your Harpy Dragon Warrior and the pharaoh's Dark Magician Girl are as good as gone!"

"That's what _you_ think, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "I now activate my last face down card: Spell Shield Type-8! If you activate magic card that specifically targets a monster, this trap card will deactivate its effect and destroy it. If you activate _any other_ magic card, all I have to do is discard one magic card from my hand and I can negate your magic card's effect and destroy your card!"

Dartz's magic card is destroyed. "No matter, I have a back up plan, so now I'll activate my other magic card: Orichalcos Sacred Chamber!" Dartz announced.

At this point, a huge stone chamber suddenly rose up out of the ground. In the chamber lay three giant stone sarcophaguses. "I'll play two cards face down and end my turn for now." Mai finished.

"Then I'll take over!" Yami shouted. "First, I'll use the power of my Magician's Sanctuary to summon my Magician of Black Chaos to the field!"

"Your 2800 atk point ritual monster means nothing, pharaoh." Dartz observed. "Granted it was the monster that allowed you to defeat Pegasus in Duelist Kingdom, but it is nothing to me, especially since it doesn't have special abilities."

"And that is why I will also use the magic card sent from my deck to my hand from the special ability of my Dark Magician of Chaos: Premature Burial! Now I will use it to bring back my Dark Paladin!" Yami replied.

Dartz laughed. "You can't do that, pharaoh. You can't afford the 800 LP requirement since you have no LP left."

"That's where you are wrong, Dartz!" Yami countered. "Now, I play the magic card: Soul of the Pure, which raises my LP by 800!" As his LP increased to 800, Yami continued, "And now I'll give up those 800 LP to bring back my Dark Paladin!" At this point, Dark Paladin reappeared on the field. (Yami's LP: 0) "And since my Dark Magician Girl is still on the field, I remain in the game despite the fact that I have 0 LP!"

"And don't forget, my Dark Paladin gains 500 atk points for every dragon monster on the field and in our graveyards," Yami went on, as Dark Paladin's atk increases to 4400 from Kaiser Glider, Different Dimension Dragon, and Mirror Force Dragon being in the graveyard.

"And finally, as a normal summon, I'll play Rapid-Fire Magician in attack mode!" Yami finished, as Rapid-Fire Magician (1600 atk) appeared on the field. "I'll play one card face down. Your move, Dartz!"

"And now it's time for me to unleash three of my most powerful monsters!" Dartz announced.

"What are you planning?" Mai demanded.

"For centuries, I have observed the monsters in the Dominion of the Beasts. Even before the time of the shadow games, I have seen monsters grow and evolve, even though they were sealed away in stone tablets. I have seen their powers increase, and thus is reason for their own special abilities. But for the most part, their power levels were too low to serve as loyal soldiers to my army." Dartz replied.

"You said most. Does that mean there are exceptions?" Yami asked.

"Of course, pharaoh. And I mean more than merely your Egyptian Gods. _Their _powers were needed to give my Great Leviathan the strength it needed. But I have observed three monsters with similar powers, and the Orichalcos created a few cards that help me exploit those powers. My Orichalcos Sacred Chamber is one of them." Dartz explained.

"Now, I play the magic card: Orichalcos Sacred Key!" Dartz announced, as three golden keys materialize in the air, then settled into the three giant stone sarcophaguses. Instantly, the three sarcophaguses open up, and three beams of near blinding light shoot up from within them.

As the three beams of light shot up into the air, they suddenly turn downwards and hit the ground, engulfing Dartz's side of the field in bright light.

"Enough!" Mai shouted. "What did you just summon, Dartz?"

"You two have seen the powers of the three Egyptian Gods, the three legendary dragons, and now the three legendary knights." Dartz said, as the light on his side of the field began to subside. "The pharaoh has wielded powers from all three categories, and you have wielded powers from the latter two categories, Ms. Valentine. Therefore, I think it's fair for me to use three powerful beasts of my own on against the two of _you."_

As the light fully subsided, three giant beasts are revealed. The first one have a demon form, which giant blue wings, a purple body, with two giant silver claws. The second one had a dragon form, its body snakelike, and completely covered in red. The third one also had a dragon form, but its body was golden and did not have a snakelike body. Now that she thought about it, Mai found that these three beasts looked strikingly similar to Obelisk the Tormentor, Slifer the Sky Dragon, and the Winged Dragon of Ra.

"Ms. Valentine, let me introduce you to Raviel, Lord of Phantasms, Uria, Lord of Searing Flames, and Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder!" Dartz announced.


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43

"You should feel honored to be in the presence of the Sacred Beasts, Ms. Valentine." Dartz said. "Few people have ever faced even a _single one_ of the three before in the past and got to walk away, let alone _all three_ of them."

"Hold on, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "I may not know how your Sacred Beasts operate, but I can see that they can 10-star monsters, and they cannot be summoned that way!"

"That's true, pharaoh." Dartz replied. "Raviel, Lord of Phantasms can only be special summoned by sacrificing three face up fiend monsters on my side of the field. Uria, Lord of Searing Flames, can only be special summoned by sacrificing three face up and continuous trap cards on my side of the field. Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder can only be special summoned by sacrificing three face up and continuous magic cards on my side of the field. However, this is only true under normal conditions, and my two magic cards change their summoning conditions. My Orichalcos Sacred Key can only be played with Orichalcos Sacred Chamber. And since that was the case, I was allowed to bring the Sacred Beasts to the field _without_ their summoning conditions!"

"All of you previous monsters have failed you, and these three will be no different!" Yami countered.

"We'll let my Sacred Beasts be the judge of that, pharaoh." Dartz replied. "Due to your faded memory, I'm sure you do not know the powers that the Sacred Beasts wield."

"That may be, but that won't stop the two of us!" Yami shouted.

"The powers of the Sacred Beasts are legendary, pharaoh. They nearly rival that of the Egyptian Gods themselves." Dartz explained. "And unlike your Egyptian Gods, I possessed the Sacred Beasts long ago."

"Mai, stay sharp," Yami cautioned. "You and I have both experienced the powers of the Egyptian Gods before,"

"How could I forget, pharaoh?" Mai replied bitterly. "I was nearly _killed_ by one, and I bet you came close to that happening to you too!"

Her eyes suddenly widened. "Wait a minute, Dartz! You told us early in the duel that you transferred the powers of the Egyptian Gods to allow your Leviathan to starting feeding on beasts by itself! If the Sacred Beasts have nearly just as much power, why didn't you transfer _their_ powers to your Leviathan?"

"While the Sacred Beasts' powers are extremely high, they combined strength fell short of giving the Leviathan the power boost it needed." Dartz replied. "After I transferred the powers of the Egyptian Gods to the Great Leviathan, transferring the powers of the Sacred Beasts to the Leviathan would be a waste of energy because that would push the Leviathan's power to feed on beasts beyond its maximum limits. So, I decided to keep the Sacred Beasts for myself, and call upon them when ever I please."

"And now, it's time for the three of them to feed again, just like they did with other human beings and beasts in the pasts." Dartz announced. "Soon you bodies will end up in the belly of my Sacred Beasts, while your souls provide the last power up to awaken my Leviathan!"

"The pharaoh and I have defeated all of your other monsters before, Dartz!" Mai countered. "And these three will be no different! Sure, Raviel, Lord of Phantasms and Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder have 4000 atk points each, but that's still weaker than your Divine Serpent of ∞ atk! Besides, we've already defeated your Divine Serpent. All we have to do now is send it off the field! As for your Uria, Lord of Searing Flames, it has no atk points at all!"

"I suggest you take a better look at my Uria, Lord of Searing Flames, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied, as Uria's attack suddenly increased to 5000.

"What! How did your monster gain 5000 atk points all at once?" Mai demanded.

"Uria, Lord of Searing Flames gain 1000 attack points for every continuous trap card in my graveyard, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied.

"Hold on, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "You don't _have_ 5 continuous trap cards in your graveyard! The only continuous trap card in your graveyard is your Ropes of Reincarnation trap card! Therefore your monster's attack strength should only be at _1000,_ not _5000!"_

"My two magic cards aren't on the field for no reason, pharaoh." Dartz replied. "Orichalcos Sacred Chamber and Orichalcos Sacred Key have the ability to remove some of the drawbacks to my Sacred Beasts. In the case of Uria, Lord of Searing Flames, my Orichalcos Sacred Key allows it to be summoned to the field with the same atk points as my other two monsters. Since Raviel and Hamon both have 4000 atk points, Uria is also summoned with 4000 atk points from the beginning. Only _then_ does my Ropes of Reincarnation trap card help my monster, increasing its atk to 5000."

"And next I'll activate Uria's special ability," Dartz continued. "Every turn Uria has the power to destroy one magic or trap card on the field. I should rid the field of your Magician's Sanctuary magic card, pharaoh, but unfortunately Uria's special ability forces me to destroy a _face down_ magic or trap card. Of course, that doesn't matter as no magic or trap cards can be activated in response to counter Uria's activation of its special ability."

"I think I'll choose one of Ms. Valentine's face down cards," Dartz went on, as Uria's mouth opened and shot out a fireball, destroying one of Mai's face down cards. "And now the time has come to finish the two of you off. With Uria's attack at 5000 and Raviel and Hamon's attacks at 4000, your Harpy Dragon Warrior and Dark Magician Girl are too weak to withstand my attack, so the duel's over for you!"

"Not just yet, Dartz!" Mai shouted. "You should have targeted my _other_ face down card instead, for now I'll activate it: Celebration of Creation! This trap card is again courtesy of Joey, which only works when monsters are summoned to the field using a magic or trap card, like you did with your three monsters. Then, if it is still your turn, I can end your turn immediately, so your monsters can't attack just yet!"

"You may have ended my turn, but not before the effect of the Orichalcos Sacred Chamber magic card kicked in!" Dartz countered, as his LP increased to 1500. "Orichalcos Sacred Chamber is what houses the three sarcophaguses to the Sacred Beasts. As long as my Sacred Beasts are on the field, I gain 500 LP for each of the three monsters!"

"Well most of them are about to be lost right now, Dartz!" Mai shouted. "Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder and Raviel, Lord of Phantasms only have 4000 atk points, where as my Fiend Megacyber and Harpy Dragon Warrior have 4400 and 4300 atk points!"

At this point, Mai's two monsters both launch their attacks, and Hamon and Raviel are destroyed. (Dartz's LP: 700). "Now I'll play one card face down and end my turn." Mai finished, inserting a card into the magic/trap card slots. _The pharaoh's Dark Magician Girl is in more danger than my Harpy Dragon Warrior. It only has 3100 atk, less than all three of Dartz's monsters. At least I only have to worry about Uria. Most likely Dartz will attack the pharaoh's monster, so my Mirror Wall trap will help him._

"And now the time has come to rid the field of your Uria, Lord of Searing Flames!" Yami shouted.

"With what, pharaoh?" Dartz taunted. "My Uria has 5000 atk points, stronger than every one of your monsters!"

"It'll start with _this_ card: Attrition!" Yami replied. "Now my Magician of Black Chaos, attack his Uria, Lord of Searing Flames!" Dartz's monster launches its counterattack, and Yami's Magician of Black Chaos (2800 atk) is destroyed.

"Now that my Magician of Black Chaos is in my graveyard, my Dark Magician Girl gains another 300 atk points," Yami continued, as Dark Magician Girl's atk increased to 3400. "And since Attrition is a normal magic card, my Rapid-Fire Magician's special ability now activates, allowing me to do 400 points of damage to your LP!"

Dartz's LP decrease to 300. "And just to make sure you don't use my magic card against me, I'll also play Emergency Provisions!" Yami went on, holding up another card. "My Emergency Provisions magic card will now send my Attrition magic card off the field. In return, I gain 1000 LP. But fortunately for you, Emergency Provision is a quick-play magic card, so my Rapid-Fire Magician's effect won't activate."

At this point, Uria's atk decreased to 2200. "My Attrition magic card works whenever one of my monsters attacks a stronger monster on your side of the field. After the battle phase, my monster's attack points get deducted from _your_ monster's attack points, so now your Uria is an easy target!" Yami explained, as Dark Paladin (4400 atk) raised its staff and launched its attack, destroying Uria, Lord of Searing Flames in the process, leaving Dartz again with only his Divine Serpent. (Dartz's LP: 0)

"If you two thought you could get rid of my three Sacred Beasts that easily, you're dead wrong!" Dartz shouted, drawing his card. At this point, his Orichalcos Sacred Chamber and Orichalcos Sacred Key magic cards suddenly glow, and Raviel (4000 atk), Uria (5000 atk), and Hamon (4000 atk) immediately reappear on the field.

"Did you two _really_ think that I would summon out such powerful monsters, allow you to easily destroy them, and not have a way to bring them back?" Dartz taunted. "You forget that my Orichalcos Sacred Chamber houses the three sarcophaguses that contain the Sacred Beasts. If they are sent to the graveyard by a magic or trap card, or destroyed in battle, they will return to the three sarcophaguses instead. Then, as long as my Orichalcos Sacred Key remains on the field, my Sacred Beasts will be return the field at the beginning of my turn if they are sent back to the three sarcophaguses!"

"In other words, as long as my Orichalcos Sacred Chamber and my Orichalcos Sacred Key remain on the field, you two will _never_ succeed in destroying my Sacred Beasts! In return, however, I am only allowed to attack no more than twice every time I bring my Sacred Beasts back this way." Dartz announced. "Now, to prevent you from negating my magic cards, I'll have Uria destroy your Dark Paladin!"

Uria, Lord of Searing Flames fired out its fireball, and Yami's Dark Paladin is destroyed. (Yami's LP: 600) "And now it's time to finish you off, pharaoh!" Dartz shouted. "And since you have LP left, I'll have Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder destroy your Dark Magician Girl! This will trigger Hamon's special ability, for it will do 1000 points of damage to you for every monster Hamon destroys and sends to the graveyard. You'll lose 600 LP from Hamon's attack, and 1000 more from Hamon's special ability. And with 0 LP and your Dark Magician Girl gone, you'll be finished!"

"Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder, destroy the pharaoh's Dark Magician Girl!" Dartz ordered, as Hamon fired out its energy blast.

"Not if I use my face down card to protect the pharaoh, Dartz!" Mai shouted, activating her Mirror Wall trap card. But suddenly, her card is immediately destroyed.

Dartz laughed. "Did you forget about Uria's special ability, Ms. Valentine? It can destroy a face down magic or trap card on the field, so I chose _yours!"_

"Well either way your attack won't work, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "You forget that _I_ still have once face down card on the field also. Now I'll activate it: Spellbinding Circle! This trap will now be equipped to a monster, and I choose Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder!"

A giant golden circle materialized in midair and choked Hamon with it. "Now, as long as my Spellbinding Circle remains on the field, your Hamon will be unable to attack or change its battle position!" Yami shouted.

"A temporary setback," Dartz replied. "That'll soon change. After all, I still have the most powerful monsters on the field anyway!"

"Well if I can't _destroy_ your monsters, I'll simply _weaken_ them!" Mai shouted, drawing her card. "I _also_ activate Attrition! And now my Fiend Megacyber will attack your Uria, Lord of Searing Flames!" The Fiend Megacyber (4400 atk) flew in for an attack, and Uria launched its fireball, destroying Mai's monster.

"And just like what the pharaoh did before, the Attrition magic card will now deduct my monster's attack points from _your_ monster's attack points!" Mai said, as Uria's attack decreased from 5000 to 600. "Now your most powerful beast has been reduced to a weakling that's barely standing before you. And just like the pharaoh, I too will activate an Emergency Provisions magic card, sending my Attrition magic card off the field in order to regain 1000 LP!" (Mai's LP: 1000)

"Do you think you've actually accomplished something in that move, Ms. Valentine?" Dartz taunted. "What makes you think that this is going to make a difference?"

"We'll just see, Dartz!" Mai countered. "Now, since I still have my normal summon left, I'll play my Harpy Lady in defense mode. Then I'll place one card face down."

"You just activated Raviel's special ability!" Dartz announced, as Mai's Harpy Lady appeared on the field (1400 def). At this point, a fiend token (1000 atk and def) appeared on the field. "Every time you normal summon a monster, I gain one fiend token!"

"That token is too weak for anything, Dartz." Mai replied. "It's useless to you."

"That's what _you_ think, Ms. Valentine!" Dartz countered. "But for now, that's irrelevant. Once the pharaoh ends his turn, you'll understand."

"Then I play my Mystical Space Typhoon magic card, which destroys one face up magic card on your side of the field, and I choose your Orichalcos Sacred Chamber!" Yami shouted. "Once that card is gone, your Orichalcos Sacred Key will be of no more use to you!"

But when the wind from Yami's Mystical Space Typhoon subsided, Dartz's magic card remained on the field. "Those two magic cards cannot be destroyed by magic or trap cards, pharaoh." Dartz said. "And that means you two have no way to permanently destroy my Sacred Beasts!"

"I'll play one card face down and end my turn for now." Yami said in disgust.

"And you know what happens now," Dartz said. "Since all three of my Sacred Beasts are on the field, I now gain another 1500 LP." (Dartz's LP: 1500). "Now, by sacrificing a monster on my side of the field, I can increase Raviel's attack by the original amount of the monster I sacrifice, so I choose to sacrifice my fiend token!"

Raviel's attack increases to 5000. "And now that my Raviel is stronger than both of your monsters, I'll destroy your Harpy Dragon Warrior!" Dartz shouted, as Raviel's fist lit up, then fired an energy blast at Mai's monster. "And just to make sure you don't activate your face down card, I'll use Uria's special ability to destroy it!"

Mai's face down card is destroyed. "You're done, Ms. Valentine! Nothing you do can save you now!" Dartz shouted, as the energy blast approached Mai's monster.

"Not so fast, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "I activate _my_ face down card: Dimensional Barrier! Here's how it works: two monsters on the field can now be selected. As long as there is at least one monster one the field besides those two, the two chosen monsters cannot be destroyed in battle, by magic cards, trap cards, or by monster effects."

"I will now select my Dark Magician Girl and Mai's Harpy Dragon Warrior!" Yami continued. "So now, as long as Mai and I have at least one other monster on the field, all of your attacks will now be useless against my magic card! And since Harpy Dragon Warrior can no longer be destroyed, you'll have to change your attack to a different monster!"

"In that case, I'll make sure you can't negate my magic cards anymore, pharaoh." Dartz countered. "Raviel, destroy his Dark Paladin!" Raviel, Lord of Phantasms continued its attack, and Yami's Dark Paladin is destroyed. (Yami's LP: 0)

"Since Uria, Lord of Searing Flames is too weak to attack and Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder is trapped in your Spellbinding Circle, I'll end my turn." Dartz observed. "But next turn, I'll rid the field of your Rapid-Fire Magician, and your two monsters will be vulnerable to attack!"

_I have to get those beasts off the field NOW,_ Mai thought, drawing her card. _Especially Uria, Lord of Searing Flames. Otherwise Dartz will just keep using its special ability to destroy a face down card every turn. But I can't destroy it in anyway until his Orichalcos Sacred Chamber and Orichalcos Sacred Key magic cards are off the field. And even though Uria only has 600 atk points left and Hamon can't attack, they are still a threat._

Her eyes widened at the card she drew. _THIS card should take care of Dartz's magic cards once and for all!_ "Now, I sacrifice my Harpy Lady!" she shouted. "This will allow me to summon the monster that will destroy your beasts _permanently!"_

"How so?" Dartz taunted. "You forget that my Sacred Beasts will always return once destroyed under any circumstances, and my two magic cards cannot be destroyed!"

"Not by magic or trap cards, Dartz." Mai replied. "Since I just sacrificed my Harpy Lady, I will now summon _another_ one of Joey's monsters: Mobius the Frost Monarch! Once this monster is summoned successfully, I can destroy up to two magic or trap cards on your side of the field!"

"Well _you_ just activated Raviel's special ability again, Ms. Valentine!" Dartz said, as a fiend token (1000 atk and def) appeared on the field. "You just normal summoned a monster, which means I gain one fiend token on my side of the field!"

Mobius the Frost Monarch (2400 atk) appeared on the field, and Dartz's Orichalcos Sacred Chamber and Orichalcos Sacred Key magic cards are destroyed. "That's irrelevant, since I still succeeded in destroying your two magic cards! And now that your Sacred Beasts can no longer come back, I'll have Mobius destroy your Uria, Lord of Searing Flames!" Mai shouted.

Mobius the Frost Monarch launched its attack, and Uria is destroyed. (Dartz's LP: 0) "And while my Harpy Dragon Warrior is protected by the pharaoh's Dimensional Barrier, it _can_ still attack, so I'll have it take care of your Raviel, Lord of Phantasms!" Mai continued, as Harpy Dragon Warrior fired out its energy blast, and Raviel is destroyed.

"Now your Hamon is alone, and it is useless to you anyway since it is stuck in the pharaoh's Spellbinding Circle! Not to mention the fact that you no longer have the ability to destroy our face down cards, so I'll play one card face down." Mai finished.

"Now, the time has come for me to rid the field of your Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder!" Yami shouted, holding up a card. "Now, I play the equip magic card: Mage Power. Now for every magic and trap card I have on the field, the equipped monster will gain 500 attack and defense points, including the Mage Power Magic card itself!"

"I will now equip my Dark Magician Girl with this magic card. And with my Magician's Sanctuary magic card still on the field, my Dark Magician Girl now gains 1000 attack and defense points, more than enough to destroy your last Sacred Beast!" Yami continued, as Dark Magician Girl's attack increased to 4400 and defense increased to 2700.

"Dark Magician Girl, destroy his last Sacred Beast!" Yami ordered. Dark Magician Girl's staff lit up, then fired out a pink ball of energy, and Hamon is destroyed. "And now I'll play one card face down, then I'll use my Magician's Sanctuary to summon my Blast Magician to the field. And since those were all special summons, I still have my normal summon left, so I'll summon my Double Coston to the field. Your move, Dartz!"

"If you two thought two could get rid of my Sacred Beasts in just one move, you're dead wrong!" Dartz shouted, drawing his card, as Yami's Blast Magician (1400 atk) and Double Coston (1700 atk) appeared on the field. "Now, I activate the magic card: Orichalcos Altar of Spells! The first thing this does is destroy one magic card on your side of the field, and I choose your Mage Power magic card!"

Yami's magic card is destroyed, and Dark Magician Girl's attack returned to 3400. "After that, Orichalcos Altar of Spells will bring two magic cards from my graveyard back to the field and activate them immediately, so my Orichalcos Sacred Chamber and Orichalcos Sacred Key magic cards now return!"

Dartz's two magic cards immediately reappear on the field. "And since all three of my Sacred Beasts were destroyed in battle last turn, they all return to my three sarcophaguses housed in my Orichalcos Sacred Chamber. Now, my Orichalcos Sacred Key will bring them back to the field!"

The magic cards Orichalcos Sacred Chamber and Orichalcos Sacred Key immediately light up, and Raviel (4000 atk), Uria (5000 atk), and Hamon (4000 atk) immediately reappear on the field. "Just as before, by bringing my Sacred Beasts back this way, I am only allowed to attack no more that twice this turn. Finally, Orichalcos Altar of Spells has a cost as well. On the turn I activate this card, none of my monsters I have on the field are not allowed to activate their special abilities. Of course, I _do_ still gain 1500 LP from my Orichalcos Sacred Chamber magic card." Dartz explained, as his LP increase to 1500 again.

"Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder, destroy Ms. Valentine's Mobius the Frost Monarch!" Dartz ordered. Hamon shoots out a fireball, and Mai's monster is destroyed. (Mai's LP: 0) "And when Hamon destroys a monster in battle, you take 1000 points of damage, not that it matters in this case."

"Now Uria, Lord of Searing Flames, destroy the pharaoh's Rapid-Fire Magician!" Dartz ordered. Uria also shot out a fire blast, and Yami's monster is destroyed.

"Your remaining monsters are too weak to do anything now," Dartz observed, looking at Yami's Blast Magician and Double Coston. As soon as I get rid of them next turn, your life saving monsters will be defenseless!"

"We'll see, Dartz!" Mai shouted, drawing her card. _I have to make this count. With the loss of Mobius the Frost Monarch, I'll have to find another way to get Dartz's two magic cards off the field. But unfortunately, I have no cards in my hand that can make that happen. All I can do for now is strengthen my defenses, and hope that the pharaoh has better luck._

"I summon my Stone Statue of the Aztecs to the field in defense mode!" Mai announced, as a green fortress appeared on the field (2000 def). "Then I'll play a second card face down and end my turn."

"And that allows me to bring another fiend token onto the field, Ms. Valentine!" Dartz announced. "Your Stone Statue of the Aztecs was a normal summon, after all. Not to mention that your monster's special ability is useless. The effect of Stone Statue of the Aztecs is that any battle damage I suffer is doubled, which is irrelevant in this case because I have no LP left." A second fiend token (1000 atk and def) appeared on the field, settling next to the first one.

"That won't matter soon. For now, the time has come to _permanently_ rid the field of your Sacred Beasts!" Yami shouted.

"With what, pharaoh? My Orichalcos Sacred Chamber and Orichalcos Sacred Key magic cards will bring it back right away!" Dartz insisted.

"Not if I do _this!"_ Yami countered, activating his face down card. "I reveal my face down card: Shrink! This magic card allows me to choose one monster on your side of the field and cut its attack strength by half, so I choose your Uria, Lord of Searing Flames!"

"That means nothing, pharaoh." Dartz said, as Uria's attack decreased to 2500. "Uria's attack will return to 5000 next turn, and even if you destroy it, I'll be able to bring it back anyway!"

"Wrong, Dartz!" Yami replied. "You never said anything about your Orichalcos Sacred Chamber and Orichalcos Sacred Key magic cards can bring your Sacred Beasts back if they are destroyed by _monster effects,_ and that is _exactly_ how I'll destroy your Uria!"

"Now, I activate the special ability of my Blast Magician!" Yami continued. "Every time a magic card is activated, my Blast Magician gains a spell counter, and 4 magic cards have been played since I summoned it to the field: Orichalcos Altar of Spells, Orichalcos Sacred Chamber, Orichalcos Sacred Key, and Shrink. This means my Blast Magician now has 4 spell counters on it. Now, by removing a number of spell counters, I can destroy a monster on the field with an attack less than or equal to the number of spell counters I intend to remove multiplied by 700 points!"

"Therefore, if I remove all 4 spell counters, my Blast Magician will now be able to destroy any monster on the field with 2800 atk or less. And since I just reduced your Uria's attack strength to 2500, I'll choose _that!"_ Yami shouted. Blast Magician's staff lit up, then fired out a red energy blast at Dartz's monster.

Uria, Lord of Searing Flames is destroyed. "Looks like the pharaoh located your two magic cards' weaknesses after all, Dartz!" Mai observed. "Since your Uria has been destroyed by a monster's special ability, you can't bring it back this time!"

"And next I'll go for your LP, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "Now, I sacrifice my Double Coston! This activates its special ability. If I sacrifice this monster to summon a monster with a _dark_ attribute, Double Coston will count as _two_ sacrifices instead of one, so I can now summon a high level monster with it!"

As Double Coston disappeared from the field, a new dark monster appeared in its place in a pillar of fire. Mai covered her eyes from the brightness of the fire, but as the new monster came into focus, she gasped in shock.

The dark attribute monster Yami summoned by sacrificing his Double Coston was Joey's Red Eyes Black Dragon.


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44

"Joey's Red Eyes?" Mai exclaimed. "Joey told me that he gave that card to you during Battle City, but I thought you gave it back to him afterwards! That's why Joey had it with him now!"

"Joey will explain that to you afterwards, Mai." Yami replied. "First, I'll use the power of my Magician's Sanctuary to bring out _this:_ Magical Marionette!" As the 2000 atk point monster appeared on the field, he continued, "Next I'll activate the magic card: Inferno Fire Blast! This card can only be activated when there's a Red Eyes Black Dragon on the field. Now I can do damage to your LP equal to that of the original attack of the Red Eyes Black Dragon, so you just lose 2400 LP in this move!"

Dartz clenched his fist in anger as his LP again drop to 0. "That's irrelevant, pharaoh! The Red Eyes Black Dragon was a normal summon, so I gain a _third _fiend token! Not to mention that your Red Eyes is not allowed to attack the same turn you activated that card!"

"Maybe not, but I _can_ make sure you never get your Uria back, Dartz!" Yami shouted, holding up another card, as a third fiend token (1000 atk and def) appeared on Dartz's side of the field. "I now activate the magic card: Soul Release! This allows me to remove up to 5 cards from anyone's graveyard from the game!"

_His three Orichalcos layers are too powerful, _Yami thought. _Although the legendary knights destroyed them and sent them to the graveyard, my Soul Release isn't powerful enough to remove them from play. I'll have to settle for something else._ "First off, I'll remove your Uria from the game, so you can't bring it back. Next, I'll remove your Ropes of Reincarnation trap card! This will prevent you from bringing back more monsters from the graveyard even if you _do_ somehow activate that card from your graveyard again. And finally, I'll remove your 3 Orichalcos Malevolences from the game, preventing you from bringing them back and using its ability to have two more take its place if destroyed in battle!"

"I still have two Sacred Beasts left, pharaoh!" Dartz countered, as his 5 cards are removed from the game. "Losing Uria may have not been a minor loss, but it's still nothing more than a temporary setback!"

"Well now the time has come for me to end this duel!" Yami shouted. "Magical Marionette has a special ability as well. It gains a spell counter for every magic card played, and two magic cards have been played I summoned it to the field: Inferno Fire Blast and Soul Release. This means my Magical Marionette now has two spell counters on it. For each spell counter, my new magician gains 200 atk points!"

"But that isn't enough, pharaoh." Mai observed, as Magical Marionette's attack increased to 2400. "Raviel and Hamon both have 4000 atk points. Even with the power boost from the two spell counters, your Magical Marionette only has 2400 atk points."

"Wrong, Mai." Yami replied. "Those spell counters that Magical Marionette just gained have powers too. For every two spell counters I remove from my magician, I can automatically destroy a monster on the field, so I choose to destroy Dartz's Divine Serpent! And since you have no more LP left, the duel will end as soon as your Divine Serpent is destroyed!" Magical Marionette's hands lit up, as its attack returned to 2000. Then it fired out an energy beam directly at Dartz's monster, still sealed away in Yami's Grief Tablet.

But suddenly, the Orichalcos Sacred Chamber magic card lit up, and Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder is destroyed instead. "As you can see, my Divine Serpent escaped just fine, pharaoh." Dartz said. "This is another effect from my Orichalcos Sacred Chamber, and it only happens if I have monsters on the field besides the Sacred Beasts. If a monster like that is about to be destroyed in any way, I can substitute one of my Sacred Beasts to take its place, assuming I have a Sacred beast to spare. So I chose my Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder to take my Divine Serpent's place, and this duel is still on!"

"I'll place my last card face down on the field and end my turn," Yami said, inserting the card into his duel disk.

"All that effort and you gained nothing, pharaoh." Dartz laughed. "Did you _really_ think that you could defeat my Sacred Beasts and my Divine Serpent that easily?"

"That's irrelevant, Dartz!" Mai shouted. "You still had to give up your Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder to save your Divine Serpent! And since Hamon has been destroyed by a monster's special ability, you can't bring it back to the field anymore!"

"I still have Raviel, Lord of Phantasms, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. "And for starters, the effect of my Orichalcos Sacred Key is now activated. If I use the power of the Orichalcos Sacred Chamber and substitute one of my Sacred Beasts to be destroyed in place of another one of my monsters, Orichalcos Sacred Key allows me to activate a trap card from my hand, so I choose this one: Martyr Replication! This card allows me to choose a monster on my side of the field and create an exact replica of it, and I choose Raviel!"

At this point, a second Raviel, Lord of Phantasms appeared on the field. "And my new Sacred Beast has the same special abilities as my original one. In return, as long as my Martyr Replication trap card remains on the field, my new Raviel cannot be destroyed!"

_We'll see about that,_ Mai thought, looking at her two face down cards. _Once Dartz attacks, I'll rid the field of his new beast quickly with one of them._

"And now you two understand why I didn't sacrifice my three fiend tokens," Dartz continued. "I can only sacrifice one of them per turn, but since I now have a second Raviel, I can sacrifice both of the three to raise my monsters' attack strengths."

Two fiend tokens disappear from the field, and Dartz's two Raviels' attacks both increase to 5000. "Now my two beasts, destroy Ms. Valentine's Stone Statue of the Aztecs and the pharaoh's Magical Marionette!"

"And I reveal one of my face down cards: Trap Jammer!" Mai shouted, activating one of her face down cards. "This card can only be activated when you attack, and it allows me to destroy a trap card on the field, so I choose your Martyr Replication! And without your trap card, your new Raviel is destroyed!"

But suddenly, Dartz's trap card lit up, and Mai's Trap Jammer is destroyed. "Martyr's Replication cannot be destroyed by trap cards, Ms. Valentine." Dartz explained, as his Raviels' attacks approached her Stone Statue of the Aztecs and Yami's Magical Marionette. "If targeted by a trap card, Martyr Replication will automatically negate the trap card's effect and destroy it, so you just wasted your card!"

"Well I can still stop you from destroying both monsters, Dartz!" Mai shouted. "I activate my other face down card: The Dark Door! This magic card forces all three of us to attack with no more than one monster per turn, so call off one of your Raviels!"

"No matter," Dartz replied, as one of his monsters destroyed Yami's Magical Marionette. "The Dark Door doesn't choose the monster for me, so I choose to call off the Raviel that was to attack your Stone Statue of the Aztecs. And with Magical Marionette destroyed, you can no longer threaten my Divine Serpent, pharaoh!"

Mai looked on at Dartz's two Raviels. She knew that normal summoning monsters was too risky now. Dartz would keep getting fiend tokens, which he would use to boost his monsters' attack strengths. The only chance right now was to use the pharaoh's Blast Magician to get rid of them. However, only 3 magic cards have been played since the pharaoh last used his Blast Magician's special ability and removed the spell counters placed onto it: Inferno Fire Blast, Soul Release, and The Dark Door. This means that as of this moment, Blast Magician only has 3 spell counters placed on it. Even if all 3 spell counters are removed, it's only enough to destroy a monster with 2100 atk or less. In order to destroy Raviel, Blast Magician would require _6_ spell counters. But Dartz still has one fiend token on the field, and she did not know if Dartz could activate Raviel's special ability during their turns or not. This made things even worse because if he could, Dartz would simply sacrifice the fiend token to increase Raviel's attack to 5000, which would mean Blast Magician would need at least _8_ spell counters to destroy it. And if that many spell counters were necessary, then at least 5 more magic cards must be played before Dartz's turn begins, not a simple task at all.

"Well I'll destroy your duplicate Raviel!" she shouted, drawing her card. "First, I play my Card of Sanctity magic card, so all three of us must keep drawing until we have six cards in our hands." As she drew her cards, Mai continued, "And next I'll play Mystical Space Typhoon! You said nothing about your Martyr Replication trap being invulnerable to _magic_ cards, so my Mystical Space Typhoon will destroy your trap card, as well as your duplicate Raviel!"

"A minor loss," Dartz replied, as his trap card is destroyed, along with his replica Raviel. "I still have my original Raviel, and you have no monsters that can stop me!"

"Mai, force his monster to activate his special ability," Yami said. "I'll get it off the field."

_He must be talking about his face down card,_ Mai thought. _But that is either a magic or trap card, and Dartz will be able to bring Raviel back with his Orichalcos Sacred Chamber and Orichalcos Sacred Key magic cards if it is destroyed that way, so why even try it?_ But she knew better than to question the pharaoh's intentions. After all, he was a much better duelist than she would ever be.

_Now HERE is a card from Joey deck that will greatly help,_ Mai thought, looking at one of Joey's cards. "Now, I sacrifice my Stone Statue of the Aztecs!" she shouted. "Now I can summon _this_ monster to the field: Des Volstgalph!"

"Big mistake, Ms. Valentine!" Dartz observed, as a giant red dragon appeared on the field (2200 atk). "Des Volstgalph is a normal summon, and that again triggers the special ability of my Raviel, Lord of Phantasms again, so I now gain another fiend token!"

"Wrong, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "I didn't object Mai to normal summoning a monster because I _wanted_ Raviel's special ability to activate! Now I can activate my trap card: Divine Wrath! This card can only be activated when a monster special ability is activated. Now, by discarding one card from my hand, I can negate that effect and destroy the monster, so your Raviel is now destroyed!"

"Big deal, pharaoh." Dartz replied. "Did you forget about my Orichalcos Sacred Chamber and Orichalcos Sacred Key? If one of my Sacred Beasts is destroyed in battle, by magic card, or trap card, my two magic cards will bring it back to the field right away!"

"Not if I get your magic cards off the field, Dartz!" Mai shouted, holding up another card.

Dartz laughed. "Didn't you learn anything when the pharaoh tried to destroy them with his Mystical Space Typhoon? My two magic cards cannot be destroyed by magic or trap cards, and your Des Volstgalph doesn't have a special ability that allows it to destroy magic cards!"

Mai smiled. "You weren't listening, Dartz. I said nothing about _destroying_ your two magic cards. You only said your Orichalcos Sacred Chamber and Orichalcos Sacred Key cannot be _destroyed_ by magic cards. That means magic and trap cards cannot send them off the field and _into your graveyard._ But I have something _else_ planned!"

"I play one of Joey's magic cards: Giant Trunade!" Mai shouted, inserting the magic card into her duel disk. "This card will send every magic and trap card back into our hands. Since your two magic cards can only stop magic and trap cards from sending them off to the graveyard, they have to go back into your hand this time!"

Dartz clutched his fist in anger. "Maybe so, Ms. Valentine. But this applies to _your_ side of the field also, so the pharaoh's Magician's Sanctuary must go back to his hand as well!"

"Wrong, Dartz!" Yami shouted, discarding three cards from his hand. "Magician's Sanctuary has a defense as well. By discarding three magic cards from my hand, I can prevent it from being sent off the field by magic and trap cards!"

"And now that you are defenseless, I'll have Des Volstgalph destroy your fiend token!" Mai said. "And since I played a magic card after Des Volstgalph had been summoned, it now gains 200 extra attack points for the rest of the turn!"

Des Volstgalph shot out a blast of energy, and Dartz's fiend token (1000 atk) is destroyed. "And whenever Des Volstgalph destroys a monster and sends it to the graveyard, you take 500 points of damage!" Mai continued.

"That's irrelevant, since I have no LP anyway!" Dartz replied. "And while Des Volstgalph is an improvement over your Stone Statue of the Aztecs, it's still no match for me!"

"Well _I'll_ make sure you can't bring back your Sacred Beasts _at all,_ Dartz!" Yami shouted, drawing his card. "First, I'll play the magic card: Card Destruction! This forces all three of us to discard our entire hands and draw the same number we just discarded. And your Orichalcos Sacred Chamber and Orichalcos Sacred Key can't defend themselves from magic and trap cards while they are in your hand, so they go straight to the graveyard!"

But suddenly, three balls of light immediately shot out from Dartz's dark duel disk and onto the field. When the light subsided, four monsters immediately appear. Three of them have the forms of mannequins, and the fourth had the form of a zombie.

"How did you summon monsters while it's still my turn, Dartz?" Yami demanded.

Dartz laughed. "From their special abilities, pharaoh. Four cards that I just discarded were monster cards, and undead type monsters cards at that. If discarded from my hand to the graveyard, they are special summoned to the field immediately."

_At this rate, we'll never be able to focus solely on Dartz's Divine Serpent,_ Mai thought. _There must be a way to destroy every single monster he has, and we have to do it soon!_

"Now, pharaoh, meet my three Orichalcos Mannequin Slayers and my Orichalcos Shadow Fiend!" Dartz announced, as his four monsters assumed their battle positions on the field.

"They won't be staying long, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "You're three Orichalcos Mannequin Slayers only have 1300 atk each, and your Orichalcos Shadow Fiend has 1100 atk. In case you've forgotten, 7 magic cards have been played since I last used by Blast Magician's special ability: Inferno Fire Blast, Soul Release, The Dark Door, Card of Sanctity, Mystical Space Typhoon, Giant Trunade, and Card Destruction. That means my Blast Magician now has 7 spell counters on it. And every spell counter I remove has the ability to destroy a monster with 700 points multiplied by the number of spell counters I remove. So I remove two spell counters to destroy one of your Orichalcos Mannequin Slayers!"

Dartz's Orichalcos Mannequin Slayer is destroyed. "And next I'll do this again two more times!" Yami continued. "This allows my Blast Magician to destroy your other two Orichalcos Mannequin Slayers!"

Dartz covered his eyes has Yami's Blast Magician fired out two more blasts, destroying his other two Orichalcos Mannequin Slayers. "And due to Mai's Dark Door, I can only attack once this turn, so I'll have my Red Eyes Black Dragon destroy your Orichalcos Shadow Fiend!" Yami said, as his Red Eyes Black Dragon shot out a fireball, destroying Dartz's Orichalcos Shadow Fiend.

But when the smoke from the attack cleared, all four monsters immediately reappear on Dartz's side of the field. "What! How did you bring your Orichalcos Mannequin Slayers and Orichalcos Shadow Fiend back?" Yami demanded.

Dartz laughed. "These are undead type monsters, pharaoh. They cannot be destroyed in battle or by monster effects. Should they be attacked in such a way, they will reappear on the field immediately."

"That's irrelevant!" Mai countered. "Your monsters' attack strengths remained exactly the same, so they can't harm _our_ monsters!"

"And in the meantime, I'll play a card face down and end my turn." Yami finished, inserting a card into his duel disk.

_I can't keep relying on the pharaoh's help to keep my Harpy Dragon Warrior safe, _Mai thought. _His Magician's Sanctuary allows me to summon a magician every turn, regardless of where it comes from, but I can't depend on his monsters to hold up his Dimensional Barrier. He didn't summon a magician THIS turn, after all. Maybe it's part of his strategy, but I can't take that chance._

"Now, it's time for my Orichalcos Shadow Fiend to activate another special ability!" Dartz said, drawing his card. "By discarding a card from my hand, my monster has the ability to destroy a face up magic or trap card on the field."

He then looked over to Yami's Magician's Sanctuary. "And just in case your Magician's Sanctuary has a defense against monster effects as well, I think I'll have my Orichalcos Shadow Fiend destroy Ms. Valentine's Dark Door instead." Orichalcos Shadow Fiend fired a black sphere of slime at Mai's side of the field, destroying her magic card in the process.

"And next I'll activate my Orichalcos Mannequin Slayer's special ability," Dartz continued. "For every Orichalcos Mannequin Slayer I have on the field, I can destroy up to that many monsters on _your_ side of the field, as long as the monsters I choose have more attack points that my Orichalcos Mannequin Slayer."

Yami's Red Eyes Black Dragon and Blast Magician are destroyed, as is Mai's Des Volstgalph. "And due to your Dimensional Barrier, I had no choice but to destroy those three monsters." Dartz said. "But that's irrelevant. Now you two have no other monsters left, which means your life saving monsters are vulnerable again!"

"Try us, Dartz!" Mai challenged. "All of your monsters are too weak to do anything anyway!"

"That's only because I haven't summoned a monster this turn yet, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. "Now I sacrifice one of my Orichalcos Mannequin Slayers call to the field my Orichalcos Abyss Assailant to the field!"

As the 2400 atk point knight monster appeared on the field, Dartz continued, "And thanks to my Orichalcos Abyss Assailant's special ability, I gain 1000 LP on the turn it is summoned to the field!" (Dartz's LP: 1000)

"Secondly, Orichalcos Abyss Assailant has the ability to remove a monster from the game and gain the equivalent of its attack strength, so it looks like the duel is over for the two of you!" Dartz said. "As soon as my Orichalcos Abyss Assailant removes Harpy Dragon Warrior from the game, it'll have 4300 atk. And since your Dark Magician Girl only has 3400 atk, you and Ms. Valentine will both lose the duel once I attack you, pharaoh!"

"Now Orichalcos Abyss Assailant, remove Harpy Dragon Warrior from the game and finish off Ms. Valentine!" Dartz ordered. Orichalcos Abyss Assailant's sword lit up, then fired a blast of energy at Harpy Dragon Warrior.

But when the smoke cleared, Mai's monster remained standing on the field. "What! How did you stop me from destroying Harpy Dragon Warrior?" Dartz demanded.

"Did you forget that I discarded my entire hand to the graveyard when I played Card Destruction, Dartz?" Yami reminded, pulling a card out of the graveyard. "One of them happened to be _this_ card: Electromagnetic Turtle (0 atk, 1800 def). If sent to the graveyard, I am allowed to end my opponent's turn whenever I choose, so your Orichalcos Abyss Assailant's special ability was never activated!"

Dartz clutched his fist in frustration. "Well it's not like the two of you are going to be able to destroy all four of my monsters any time soon, so you changed nothing!"

_I need a good card NOW,_ Mai thought, drawing her card. _Dartz still has two Orichalcos Mannequin Slayers on the field, and I have to destroy them right now or it'll destroy Harpy Dragon Warrior and the pharaoh's Dark Magician Girl next turn. But they can't be destroyed in battle or by monster effects, so if I can't draw the right magic or trap card now, it's all over._

Her eyes widened at the card she drew. "I'll play a card face down, that will do." Mai announced.

"And I'll use the power of my Magician's Sanctuary to summon my Mythical Beast Cerberus to the field!" Yami shouted. As Mythical Beast Cerberus appeared on the field (1400 atk), he continued, "And since that was my special summon, I still have my normal summon left, so I'll summon a monster in defense mode and end my turn."

"How pathetic," Dartz observed. "Did you forget that my Orichalcos Mannequin Slayers has the ability to destroy your monsters?"

"Of course not, Dartz. That's why I'm now activating my face down card: Shadow Balance!" Mai shouted. At this point, a giant balance appeared on the field. "This trap card forces the number of monsters on your side of the field to be equal to the number on mine. And since I only have one monster on my side of the field, so must you! And since they monsters destroyed are randomly chosen, chances are likely that your Divine Serpent will be among them!"

"That's what _you_ think, Ms. Valentine!" Dartz countered. "My Orichalcos Abyss Assailant has another special ability as well, and it only works when monsters of mine are about to be destroyed by a magic or trap card that randomly destroys monsters. By sacrificing my Orichalcos Abyss Assailant, I can choose whichever monsters I want to be destroyed, and which I want to remain on the field, so I sacrifice my Orichalcos Abyss Assailant!"

"Now, I choose for my two Orichalcos Mannequin Slayers and my Orichalcos Shadow Fiend to be the monsters destroyed!" Dartz continued, as his three monsters are hurled into the balance and destroyed. "And thanks to my Orichalcos Shadow Fiend's second special ability, I get to draw a card once my monster is sent to the graveyard by a magic card or a trap card."

"Now, to rid the field of your face down monster, pharaoh!" Dartz announced, holding up a card. "I play the magic card: Orichalcos Revelation! This card is used whenever there are face down monsters on the field, and I am allowed to target one and destroy it immediately, so I'll target yours! And as a second effect, the monster that is about to be destroyed by my Orichalcos Revelation cannot activate its flip effect or any other effect it has after being destroyed!"

And this point, a ray of light immediately illuminated Yami's face down defense monster. But when the light faded, Yami's monster remained on the field.

"What! But why didn't your monster get destroyed?" Dartz demanded.

"You just targeted by Mid-Shield Guardna, Dartz." Yami replied, as Mid-Shield Guardna (100 atk, 1800 def) flipped itself face up on the field. "If it is specifically targeted by a magic card, the magic card's effect is negated. In return, I must flip my monster face up. And unlike my Big Shield Guardna, my Mid-Shield Guardna does not go into attack mode after it is attacked!"

"Perhaps," Dartz observed, holding up a card. "But your Mid-Shield Guardna only has 1800 defense points, lower than your Big Shield Guardna's defense of 2600."

"In the meantime, I'll rid the field of your Mid-Shield Guardna _right now!_ I summon my Orichalcos 4-Star Death Beast!" Dartz continued.

At this point, a giant beast of ice appeared on the field. "Now, my Orichalcos 4-Star Death Beast only has 1400 atk points, but that's all I need." Dartz said.

"How? Your monster is weaker!" Mai insisted.

"Just watch, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. His Orichalcos 4-Star Death Beast launched its attack at Yami's Mid-Shield Guardna, destroying it in the process.

"Due to my Orichalcos 4-Star Death Beast's special ability, it will destroy any 4-star or lower monster it attacks or attacks it, regardless of atk points, and it will survive. Of course, damage calculations still apply, so I _did_ lose 400 LP in that last attack since your Mid-Shield Guardna's defense was 400 points higher than my Orichalcos 4-Star Death Beast's attack." (Dartz's LP: 600)

"Well _you_ just gave my Mythical Beast Cerberus a power boost!" Yami countered. "Every time a magic card is played, my Mythical Beast Cerberus gains a spell counter, and every time it gains a spell counter, its attack increases by 500 points!"

"Big deal, you'll have to remove all of the spell counters off of your monster after its attack phase anyway, pharaoh." Dartz replied. "Your new monster may have 1900 atk now, but you'll only get one chance to use it!"

"Well _I'll_ make sure that the attack _is_ worth it, Dartz!" Mai shouted, drawing her card. But as she looked at her hand, her expression changed.

_My hand doesn't look promising right now,_ she thought. _The only monster I have left on my side of the field is my Harpy Dragon Warrior. If Dartz gets rid of the pharaoh's Mythical Beats Cerberus in his next turn, his Dark Magician Girl will be in danger of getting destroyed again. But the only monsters in my hand have either 4 stars or less, or 7-stars or more. Nothing I summon now can destroy Dartz's Orichalcos 4-Star Death Beast without costing me a monster myself._

As if able to read Mai's thoughts, Yami interrupted. "And now I'll reveal the face down card I set several turns ago: Necromancy! This magic card will randomly revive four monsters from anyone's graveyard except my own, so I choose Mai's graveyard!"

"Now, return to the field: Harpie Girl, Stone Statue of the Aztecs, Cyber Harpy, and Mystical Elf!" Yami continued, as Harpie Girl (500 def), Stone Statue of the Aztecs (2000 def), Cyber Harpy (1300 def), and Mystical Elf reappeared on the field.

Yami looked over to Mai. "Unfortunately Mai, the four monsters revived by my Necromancy magic card had to be 4 stars or lower, so it was all I could do."

Mai nodded in understanding. "It's all right, pharaoh. I got what I needed from your magic card. Now, I sacrifice my Harpie Girl and my Mystical Elf in order to summon my Harpy's Pet Dragon!" As the 2000 atk point red dragon appeared on the field, she continued, "And for every Harpy Lady or Cyber Harpy I have on the field, my dragon gains 300 atk points!"

"That means nothing," Dartz replied. "All I have to do is destroy a few monsters and your dragon will be too weak to do anything. After all, Necromancy also comes with a devastating side effect. For each of the four monsters revived from it gets destroyed, your remaining monsters will lose 600 atk points, and you still have two monsters left!"

"Then I'll boost my dragon's strength!" Mai countered. "I summon another Cyber Harpy to the field!" As the 1800 atk point monster appeared, Harpy's Pet Dragon launched its fireball, destroying Dartz's Orichalcos 4-Star Death Beast in the process. (Dartz's LP: 0)

"And now that I have a second harpy on the field, my dragon gains _another_ 300 atk points!" Mai said, as Harpy's Pet Dragon's atk increased to 2600. "Finally, I'll play one card face down on the field and end my turn."

"You just activated my Orichalcos 4-Star Death Beast's special ability, Ms. Valentine!" Dartz announced. "If it is destroyed in battle, it makes an instantly recovery right away." At this point, Orichalcos 4-Star Death Beast immediately reappeared on the field (1000 atk and def).

"Then I'll destroy it, Dartz!" Yami shouted, drawing his card. "Go Mythical Beast Cerberus! Take down his monster!" Mythical Beast Cerberus launches its attack, and Orichalcos 4-Star Death Beast is destroyed.

"Did you forget about my monster's special ability? If it is destroyed by a 4-star or lower monster, the monster that destroyed it goes with him!" Dartz said, as Yami's Mythical Beast Cerberus is destroyed. "And this comes with the third effect of my monster. If it is destroyed after it came back to the field with an attack and defense of 1000, I am automatically allowed to summon a monster with 2000 atk or less from my hand to the field."

"Go ahead, just try it!" Mai challenged. "My Harpy's Pet Dragon has 2600 atk points, and will take care of any monster you try to summon!"

"Well let's see it stand up to _this_: my Orichalcos Crane From Beneath!" Dartz countered. At this point, a giant firebird appeared on the field (2000 atk) and spread its giant wings of fire at Yami and Mai.

"As soon as it's my turn, my Harpy's Pet Dragon will take care of that monster, Dartz!" Mai shouted. "With only 2000 atk, it is far too weak for my dragon!"

That's where you're wrong, Ms. Valentine." Dartz said. "Orichalcos Crane From Beneath has a special ability that destroys a monster as soon as it is summoned. But what fun would it be to destroy your dragon?"

"Then what are you planning, Dartz?" Mai demanded.

"I will use my monster's special ability to destroy your Cyber Harpy instead, the one revived from the pharaoh's Necromancy card!" Dartz announced. "And you know what _that_ means, Ms. Valentine. Once your Cyber Harpy is destroyed, your dragon will lose 300 atk points, then an additional 600 from Necromancy's effect, which will bring your dragon's attack down to 1700, enough for my Orichalcos Crane From Beneath to destroy!" Orichalcos Crane From Beneath opened its wings, then fired blasts of fire at Mai's Cyber Harpy.

"Not so fast, Dartz!" Yami shouted, holding up a card. "You forget that it is still my turn, and I play the magic card: Revenge Sacrifice! This card allows me to sacrifice any monster on the field, as long as it's not mine!"

"That won't matter," Dartz countered. "It is too late for you to stop my monster from destroying Ms. Valentine's Cyber Harpy anyway!"

"Who said anything about sacrificing your Orichalcos Crane From Beneath?" Yami said.

"You're not? Then what are you planning?" Dartz demanded.

"I choose to sacrifice Mai's Cyber Harpy, the one that you are about to destroy!" Yami shouted, as Mai's Cyber Harpy disappeared from the field, and Harpy's Pet Dragon's attack decreased to 2300. "And now that the Cyber Harpy that you targeted is no longer on the field, your monster's special ability can now do nothing!"

"And my Harpy's Pet Dragon still has 2300 attack, so it is _still_ stronger than your monster, Dartz!" Mai added, as Orichalcos Crane From Beneath's fire blasts fizzled out.

"Now, from the sacrifice of Mai's Cyber Harpy, I can now summon this: my Archfiend of Gilfer!" Yami shouted, as a winged dragon-like beast appeared on the field (2200 atk).

But as Yami's monster assumed its battle position, Orichalcos Crane From Beneath's attack suddenly increased to 2400. "Wait! How did you increase your monster's strength while it is still my turn?" Yami demanded.

Dartz laughed. "Orichalcos Crane From Beneath has a second special ability, pharaoh. Every time a monster is summoned it gains 400 atk points, so it looks like _my_ monster is the stronger one now!"

"I think not, Dartz!" Mai shouted, activating her face down card. "I reveal my face down card: Skull Dice! This trap is again from Joey, and it will weaken your monster!"

At this point, a red dice materialized in mid-air and dropped to the ground, finally stopping face up on a six, and Orichalcos Crane From Beneath's attack dropped to 1800. "Looks like your Orichalcos Crane From Beneath just lost 600 attack and defense points!" Mai observed. "Now Archfiend of Gilfer is the stronger monster once again!"

"Archfiend of Gilfer, destroy his Orichalcos Crane From Beneath!" Yami ordered. Archfiend of Gilfer fired out a blast of flame, and Dartz's monster is destroyed.

"What are you going to do _now,_ Dartz?" Mai shouted. "All of your monsters are gone, except your Divine Serpent, which can't do anything anyway! Before, you insisted that the two of us were just stalling. How does it feel to have the tables turned?"

But to Mai's surprise, Dartz merely laughed. "You'd be surprised how quickly the tables can turn back, Ms. Valentine. And in moments, you two will see the futility of your efforts."

"Enough!" Mai shouted angrily. "Your words won't work on us anymore. The pharaoh and I both overcame the power of the Orichalcos when you tried to break our will, so what makes you think you can succeed now?"

Dartz gestured to Yami. "I couldn't help but notice that from the power of your Millennium Puzzle, you succeeded in overcoming the power of the Orichalcos."

"It is with the help of all of my friends that I did so, Dartz!" Yami shouted.

"Well _I_ possess something that will match that kind of power that your Puzzle possesses, pharaoh." Dartz replied, as an artifact, hanging in a rope, began to appear around his neck.

"What is that?" Mai demanded. "What's with the item appearing around you?"

"The god cards and souls were not the _only_ things Rafael, Alister, and Valon acquired for me when they were in Domino," Dartz replied, as the item revealed itself in the shape of a blue pyramid. But unlike Yami's Millennium Puzzle that hang upside down, this one hung right side up.

"Pharaoh, what _is_ that thing?" Mai asked.

"Something I thought I'd never see again," Yami observed, finally recognizing what hung around Dartz's neck: The Pyramid of Light.


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Soul World

"Valon, I don't understand. That artifact was specifically destroyed. I saw it myself. How did Dartz bring it back? And for that matter, did he bring it back to the way it once was?" Joey asked confused.

"Well, the artifact itself _is_ comprised of magic powers, Wheeler." Valon replied. "That should be a good indication of why it survived."

"Valon, for starters, there shouldn't even be any trace of the Pyramid of Light remaining." Joey protested. "I saw it happen in the Kaiba Dome where the battle with Anubis took place. After the pharaoh had defeated Anubis in the duel, the artifact itself completely disintegrated except for the pink sphere in the center. Then, Anubis came out of that sphere and transformed himself into a hybrid composed of a jackal, werewolf, and hyena."

"All right, what happened then?" Valon asked.

"Well, it was somewhat like how the monsters work when the Seal of Orichalcos is in play." Joey explained. "When the Seal of Orichalcos is in play, the monsters are real. Back then, all of the monsters in Yugi and Kaiba's decks were also real."

"That doesn't explain how they beat Anubis," Valon pointed out.

"Valon, you have to understand, if the monsters are real, then all of their powers and special abilities are also real." Joey explained. "And by then, it was no longer a duel, but a war. The pharaoh summoned out one of the cards Kaiba acquired from Pegasus in the hopes of defeating Yugi in a duel. Even after the Battle City Tournament, Kaiba was still set on defeating Yugi so he could have all three Egyptian God cards for himself."

"The card he acquired from Pegasus was the Blue Eyes Shining Dragon, and it has a special power that allows it to destroy any monster," Joey continued. "And since Anubis himself was a monster at that moment, the rules applied to him also."

"All right, so Anubis got destroyed by the Blue Eyes Shining Dragon. What does that have to do with why there should be no trace of the Pyramid of Light left?" Valon asked.

"Well, since Anubis's physical form came right out of that pink sphere, I simply concluded that the pink sphere itself is what contained Anubis's essence." Joey explained. "Besides, that tiny sphere also had weird shadows swarming around in it. Since the pharaoh said that the Pyramid of Light has the power to release the most powerful Shadow Game ever known, it must come from that sphere."

"After Anubis's was defeated, the shadows died within the pink sphere. After that, the pink sphere simply shattered into fragments. I saw it all happen from the helicopter Pegasus arrived in when he came to the Kaiba Dome. But by the time I reached the ground and went over the place where the last piece of the Pyramid of Light shattered, the fragments of the pink sphere also disappeared." Joey continued. "Afterwards, I simply concluded that Anubis was killed. I also concluded that the Pyramid of Light could only respond to Anubis himself, that it only has one master."

"You believed that Anubis gave the Pyramid of Light its source of power," Valon replied.

Joey nodded. "It would explain why no trace of the Pyramid of Light was left after Anubis was killed. Without its master to give it its energy, the Pyramid of Light would become powerless and useless to everyone else who tries to use it. Anubis must have also linked the artifact to himself, so when he goes, the artifact goes with him."

"That makes sense," Valon said, nodding.

"But you specifically said that you Rafael and Alister found the broken pieces of the artifact. How did you do it? And for that matter, why did you even try to look for it in the first place?" Joey asked. "I thought the only reason the three of you came to Domino was to take the Egyptian God cards, the pharaoh's soul, and any other strong soul you could acquire."

"That was mainly it, Wheeler." Valon replied. "Stealing the Egyptian God cards served a double purpose: it was to finally give the Leviathan the strength to feed on its own, as well as lure the pharaoh out for the Orichalcos. If we could not capture the pharaoh's soul, we could at least capture other strong souls."

"That wouldn't happen to include me and Kaiba's, would it?" Joey asked, starting to catch on.

"Dartz wanted to go for the stronger souls first, and that is why we went for the pharaoh first." Valon replied. "As for you and Kaiba, the three of us decided that if we were to capture your souls, it would be best to concentrate on the more protected one first."

"So you _did_ make an attempt for Kaiba's soul," Joey said. Off Valon's nod, he continued, "Well, with the most powerful gaming company in the world, Kaiba _does_ have more enemies than I do."

"It started shortly after Anubis's defeat," Valon replied. "Surprisingly, Kaiba was able to restore his gaming dome to full operation within a matter of days. Of course, he had to be present in order to supervise the reconstruction, so the Kaiba Dome was where the three of us went when we tried to capture Kaiba's soul for Dartz."

"Go on," Joey pressed.

"The three of us decided to infiltrate the dome by night time, when security is lighter." Valon explained. "Shortly after Rafael, Alister and I got in, our Orichalcos stones began to pick up a strange form of energy."

"But the Pyramid of Light was destroyed, how could it still radiate energy?" Joey asked, confused.

Valon shrugged. "After receiving orders to obtain the pharaoh's soul, Dartz explained to us that the pharaoh wielded magic that is somewhat similar to the magic of the Orichalcos. I guess what he meant was that Shadow magic and Orichalcos magic must have similar energy signatures."

"After detecting that energy, Rafael decided to follow it." Valon continued. "And sure enough, it led the three of us to the dueling arena where the pharaoh and Kaiba dueled."

"But it doesn't explain why the Pyramid of Light gave off that energy in the first place," Joey pointed out.

"You have to understand that this was only half a week after that Shadow Game with Anubis," Valon replied. "It's quite possible that the shadow magic may not have completed faded away."

_You've got a point, Valon,_ Joey thought, thinking of Mai. _Mai looked fine after Marik's defeat after Battle City, and if you're right, then the shadow magic Marik put on her still had its after effects. It would explain why when I met her barely a month later, she had an Orichalcos stone around her neck._

"All right, say there was still some of the Shadow magic left and that your Orichalcos crystals picked up on the energy signature. The fact still remains that there's no traces left of the Pyramid of Light." Joey said.

"Well, eventually the three of us pinpointed the source of the energy signature to a certain point on the ground. When we approached it, something began to glow from that place." Valon explained. "After the glowing light subsided, we saw tiny pink fragments on the ground where there used to be absolutely nothing at all."

"Those pink fragments are from the pink sphere of the Pyramid of Light," Joey said, putting the pieces together. "That pink sphere, as far as I can tell, is what contained Anubis himself. Nevertheless, it shouldn't have posed any threat to you. The Orichalcos is older than the Millennium items, remember?"

"True, but this wasn't like what happened at the duel when you first saw the Seal of Orichalcos being played. In _that_ duel, you saw the pharaoh activate his Millennium Puzzle and nothing happened." Valon replied.

"Didn't the same thing happen when you located the pink fragments?" Joey asked.

Valon shook his head. "Those pink fragments reacted quite violently to the presence of the Orichalcos. In fact, the first thing it tried to do was suck the power right out of our Orichalcos stones. Of course if I had known that the Orichalcos was evil back then, I probably would have let it happen."

"Well? What happened?" Joey asked, trying to get the rest of the picture.

"Rafael, Alister, and I pulled away." Valon replied. "At that moment, several more fragments appeared, this time all a bright sky blue color."

"That was what the rest of the artifact looked like," Joey said. "So it looks like it can go _both_ ways: the Orichalcos can draw power from Shadow magic, Shadow magic can draw power from the Orichalcos."

Valon nodded. "The artifact barely even existed at that time, so it was too weak to do anything anyway. It's probably the reason why Rafael, Alister and I were able to pull back so easily. If this Pyramid of Light is truly as strong as you said it is, it probably would have killed the three of us right on the spot."

"And that's no exaggeration either," Joey said, remembering how when his spirit went into the Millennium Puzzle along with Yugi and Tristan, Anubis explained to them how he was using the life energies from the pharaoh and Kaiba to fuel his own rebirth. In a way, it's a lot like what Dartz was trying to do: using the life energies of millions to release his Leviathan.

"Dartz eventually contacted us, explaining that we had no idea what we were dealing with. So we did what we thought was right: we took the pink and bright blue fragments over to him instead." Valon explained.

"Seeing how the three of you were under the influence of the Orichalcos, I don't blame you." Joey replied.

"After giving the fragments over to Dartz, we never saw it again." Valon said. "I only brought it up because I felt its presence again."

"But how? You no longer have an Orichalcos crystal around your neck to detect that energy signature." Joey pointed out.

"That's true, but when the Pyramid of Light tried to suck the power out of the Orichalcos stone that I wore under Dartz's influence, I got a feeling for what the energy within that artifact felt like, and so did Alister and Rafael." Valon explained.

"So now you can feel it even _without_ and Orichalcos crystal around you? Even when you are trapped in here?" Joey asked, incredulous.

Valon nodded. "It's just a very weak feeling, and it was only for a split second. But for an event like that, I don't forget so easily."

"All right, I'll take your word for it since you were there and I was not." Joey said. "Does this mean Dartz has found a way to restore the Pyramid of Light all the way back to the way it was when I first encountered it?"

"If you mean bring it back to the way so that it could suck the life energy right out of you in a similar way the Seal of Orichalcos sucks the soul out of you, then the answer is most likely yes," Valon replied.

Joey sighed. It was pretty much what he expected Valon's answer to be. Now all he can do is hope that Dartz couldn't use the artifact to its full potential. And if the Orichalcos can feed off the magic from the Pyramid of Light, he desperately hoped that Dartz couldn't exploit that advantage—and somehow bring the Seal of Orichalcos back to the field after it was destroyed by the legendary knights. When he saw the field from the vortex that Dartz's Divine Serpent created, he saw the pharaoh and Mai desperately trying to destroy the Divine Serpent, but Dartz countered their strategy every single time. Mai had enough trouble with Dartz even when she had Legendary Knight Hermos and without the three layers of the Orichalcos to deal with. If Dartz brought the three Orichalcos layers back, it would be a total catastrophe.

"Did Dartz ever say anything after you brought the fragments over to him?" Joey asked.

Valon nodded. "All he said was that what we brought over to him was unexpected, but it would greatly help in the end. He said that the fragments we brought over to him were once an artifact of incredible power, and now that I've heard it from you, I'm fully convinced. Before that, only Rafael believed what Dartz said. I wasn't yet convinced that there were powers that rivaled that of the Orichalcos besides the three legendary dragons."

"Dartz told you about them?" Joey asked, incredulous.

"Just very briefly," Valon explained. "After Rafael, Alister and I received the powers of the Orichalcos and began to work for him, Dartz explained that there may be a slim chance that the legendary dragons would return."

"Of course, the three of us weren't worried one bit about that at that time," Valon continued. "It was only after I saw how well you were doing against Mai in the Industrial Illusions building after receiving Hermos did I finally acknowledge the legendary dragons had powers that practically matched that of the Orichalcos."

Joey nodded. "All right. How does the Pyramid of Light fit in to all of this? Did Dartz say anything about trying to transfer its power to the Leviathan he's been trying to raise for the last 10,000 years?"

"All Dartz said was that he was going to find a way to use the fragments we brought to him to help the Orichalcos, nothing more." Valon replied. "The three of us simply went back to Domino for the pharaoh's soul and the three Egyptian God cards, and we never brought it up again."

Dartz's Temple

"And that is how I was able to obtain the Pyramid of Light, pharaoh." Dartz finished. "It was a combination of your belief that the artifact had been destroyed, as well as Mr. Kaiba's blindness to believe in such magic."

"But you said that Alister, Rafael and Valon only brought you _fragments!_ How did you bring the _whole thing_ back?" Mai asked, nervous.

"I'm not surprised that you haven't realized that the power within even a single Orichalcos crystal is immense, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. "As you recall, I explained that Shadow magic and Orichalcos magic are very similar, and with the Pyramid of Light, I was able to use the Orichalcos crystals to feed it power."

"And the more power you gave it, the more of the artifact appeared before you," Yami continued. "When you were done feeding the Pyramid of Light its power, it recombined itself to become whole once again."

"Very good, pharaoh. You're catching on." Dartz replied, then pointed to the center of the Pyramid of Light. "But as you can see, not everything is exactly the same."

Yami glanced a little bit carefully, but realized what Dartz was talking about: the center sphere. When he dueled Anubis in that shadow game, the Pyramid of Light that hung from Anubis's neck had a pink sphere. While the center still has a spherical shape, it was now emerald green, just like that of an Orichalcos stone.

"So you've got another powerful artifact now," Mai observed. "What do you think you can accomplish with it?"

"I'm glad you asked, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. "With the Pyramid of Light finally under my control, the duel has shifted in my favor once again."

"In case you haven't noticed, the pharaoh and I are the ones who have the upper hand here, Dartz!" Mai countered. "All you have on the field is your Divine Serpent, sealed away in that stone tablet. The pharaoh has his Archfiend of Gilfer and Dark Magician Girl, and I have my Harpy's Pet Dragon, Cyber Harpy, Stone Statue of the Aztecs, and Harpy Dragon Warrior! Not to mention that my Harpy Dragon Warrior and the pharaoh's Dark Magician Girl are protected by the pharaoh's Dimensional Barrier as long as we have at least one other monster on the field, and we have four!"

"Being outnumbered doesn't guarantee anything, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. "You should know that. Besides, the two of you still can't get your legendary knights back. And by the time you do, I'll have already won!"

At this point, the Pyramid of Light around Dartz's neck began to glow bright blue.

"What are you up to, Dartz?" Yami demanded. He did not like what was happening with the Pyramid of Light. Barely a month ago, Kaiba had activated a trap card version of it, and the two of them had to undergo one of the most devastating Shadow Games ever known.

"Now you will see what I have accomplished with this artifact, pharaoh!" Dartz announced, as the Pyramid of Light floated away from him and into the air. It continued to float up and towards Yami and Mai until it reached the halfway point, with Yami and Mai on one side, and Dartz on the other.

"_Enough!"_ Mai shouted, pointing to the artifact. "What did you just do, Dartz?"

Dartz laughed, as the Pyramid of Light shot out several beams of blue energy from midair. The blue beams suddenly dive down and struck the ground, making Mai lose her balance for a second.

"That's it? All your talk and that's all your artifact could do? You're even dumber than I thought, Dartz." Mai scoffed, not impressed.

Dartz laughed. "I suggest you take a closer look at the ground beneath the three of us, Ms. Valentine. I think what you will find will be quite familiar."

Mai looked down at the ground…..and gasped in horror. Dartz was right. Those blue beams shot out from the Pyramid of Light did indeed accomplish something, and it was indeed familiar, but not in a good way: the Seal of Orichalcos just reappeared beneath them.

"And now, thanks to the powers of the Pyramid of Light, the mighty Seal of Orichalcos has been reborn!" Dartz announced.


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter 46

"How did you bring the seal back?" Yami demanded. "The legendary knights had already destroyed it! All three layers for that matter!"

Dartz laughed. "You should know that the mighty seal cannot be gotten rid of so easily, pharaoh. Recall what I said before: Shadow magic and Orichalcos magic have _very_ similar energy signatures."

"That still doesn't explain how it can get the Seal of Orichalcos back!" Mai countered.

"You forgot to read between the lines, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. "If you recall, Alister, Rafael, and Valon handed the Pyramid of Light over to me almost a month ago. Therefore, I've had nearly a month to study and analyze the artifact, learning what secrets and powers it housed."

"During that time, I fed the energy from the Orichalcos stones to it, allowing the Pyramid of Light to regenerate even _without_ its master." Dartz continued. "It took a great deal of time, as the Pyramid of Light is different from the Millennium Puzzle." He then pointed to Yami's puzzle. "The Pyramid of Light is much older than your puzzle, and it houses just as much power within it, if not more. If too much energy is fed to it all at once, it will react quite violently."

"You may have been able to rebuild the Pyramid of Light, but you can't control it!" Yami protested.

"Wrong, pharaoh." Dartz replied. "And now that the seal is back on the field, I can show you the visions again." The three of them immediately disappear from the room, as the seal began to generate a vision.

Yami and Mai found themselves in Domino. Below them was an Orichalcos duel, where Yami first encountered the Seal of Orichalcos. In the vision, it showed his opponent summoning out Obelisk the Tormentor.

"Pharaoh, if you recall from Battle City, only people who have connections to the ancient past is supposed to be able to effectively control an Egyptian God. But thanks to the Seal of Orichalcos, that condition is skipped." Dartz explained, appearing before them. "On the surface level, you're right. Anubis did indeed build the Pyramid of Light to so that it could respond to no one but himself. But he never came across the power of the Orichalcos."

"The power of the Orichalcos is able to conquer practically all," Dartz continued, as the vision changed to show Yami activating the seal himself again Rafael and got corrupted by it. "You and Ms. Valentine somehow overcame it, but you two are not under normal circumstances."

"It took be a great deal of time to restore the Pyramid of Light to its original form, but I succeeded nonetheless. Mastering its power, however, was a completely different matter." Dartz went on, as the three of them reappear in the temple. "Its powers are extremely different from that of your Millennium Puzzle, and far greater in scale. Just like how the Orichalcos stones were strained in controlling the Egyptian Gods, they were pushed to their limits to access and control the powers of the Pyramid of Light itself."

"You restored the Pyramid of Light to its original state from the Orichalcos stones _and_ found a way to restore the Shadow magic? Even _without_ Anubis or any other Millennium items?" Yami exclaimed.

"Exactly, pharaoh." Dartz replied. "Under normal conditions, the only way to restore the Shadow magic to the artifact is with Shadow Games, which would require the presence of a Millennium item. But since the Orichalcos stones have similar energy, they can serve as a substitute energy source."

"What does that have to do with how you were able to control that artifact?" Mai demanded.

"You don't know this like the pharaoh does, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied, then turned to Yami. "If you recall anything from your previous encounter with Anubis, you should still remember that he is an evil warlord who tried to destroy the world."

"And I was the one who defeated him, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "So much for your accusations that _I_ am the evil one!"

"You defeated him so you could have the world for yourself, pharaoh." Dartz replied. "That's the type of person you are: both wicked _and_ greedy. In any case, after you defeated him barely a month ago, you should have thought of the possibility that he wasn't destroyed in the process."

"And why is that?" Yami asked.

"Anubis is no ordinary being, pharaoh." Dartz replied. "All you succeeded in doing when you defeated him the second time was banishing him into the Shadow Realm, instead of exiling him to the underworld like you did 5000 years ago."

"And with him there, the remnants of the Pyramid of Light became useless, unable to free Anubis from the Shadow Realm like it did from the underworld." Dartz continued. "Anubis created the Pyramid of Light to uphold his youth. It was the reason why he never aged. But when you sent him to the underworld 5000 years ago, he was separated from the artifact. This also severed the link that allowed him to stay young, which was why he became a decayed corpse when his sarcophagus was found 5000 years later. Finally, when the Shadow Games drew to a close in ancient Egypt, your Millennium Puzzle was broken up into pieces, which sealed away Anubis's last hope for escaping the underworld. But when the Millennium Puzzle was pieced together again 5000 years later, a small portion of Anubis's spirit was able to escape the underworld."

"It was the reason how the card version of the Pyramid of Light was created," Yami said.

"That's only partially true," Dartz corrected. "Pegasus recreated the ancient game of duel monsters into cards, including the Pyramid of Light itself. But when Anubis's spirit entered it, he modified the card so that it would actually unleash the Pyramid of Light as a real Shadow Game, and not a mere holographic image."

"It was the reason why Kaiba was manipulated," Yami said, remembering that particular Shadow Game clearly.

"It was necessary for Anubis, pharaoh." Dartz answered. "Since neither you nor Mr. Kaiba could use the Pyramid of Light _artifact_ in order to revive him, Anubis needed an alternative. And he had one: he modified the _card_ version of the Pyramid of Light to channel your life energies to him. And since Mr. Kaiba is a non-believer of Shadow magic, Anubis decided to manipulate _him._ Once a sufficient amount of energy has been gathered, he would no longer need Kaiba at all."

"I remember," Yami said. After too much of his life energy, along with Kaiba's, had been drained, Anubis appeared and took over the duel between him and Kaiba, knowing that Kaiba had served his purpose for him as his pawn. Anubis was even able to stop Kaiba's Blue Eyes Shining Dragon from destroying the Pyramid of Light on the field, fully aware that he needed it to continue the duel, along with the Pyramid of Light around his neck.

It was a surprise to Yami as to how powerful Anubis had become, being able to stop Kaiba's Blue Eyes Shining Dragon with a mere thought. Fortunately, with Yugi's help, he was able to revive Kaiba's Blue Eyes Shining Dragon and destroy the Pyramid of Light on the field. And from Kaiba's help, although Kaiba didn't know it, he was able to revive the three Egyptian Gods and defeat Anubis in the duel, preventing him from completing the prophecy. Anubis stated that if Yami was beaten by him, nobody would be left to stand in the way of his ultimate goal: the destruction of humanity and the beginning of the era of darkness.

Even then, Anubis refused to give up. He turned himself into a demonic jackal and tried to carry out his plan even _without_ defeating Yami in the duel, but due to Kaiba's Blue Eyes Shining Dragon, Anubis was again defeated. Afterwards, he and the rest of the gang simply left the Kaiba Dome, leaving Kaiba to clean up the wreckage. It never once occurred to him that there would still be remnants of the Pyramid of Light that still resided among the ruins.

As if sharing his thoughts, Mai spoke up, "Pharaoh, it's not your fault. There was no way you could have known that the artifact was not really destroyed. And even if you _did_ know, you couldn't have known that it wouldn't _stay_ destroyed."

"And after receiving the fragments of the artifact, feeding it energy from the Orichalcos stones and piecing it back together, I spent a great deal of time before the two of you showed up studying it, learning the secrets the Pyramid of Light housed within itself." Dartz continued. "It was from there that I was able to learn how to connect its powers to benefit the seal, and it was to serve as my backup plan."

"What are you talking about?" Yami demanded.

Dartz laughed, then turned to Mai. "Ms. Valentine, why did you think I sent you and Valon to the Industrial Illusions building after Pegasus in the first place?"

_Dartz DOES have a point,_ Mai thought, looking up at the Pyramid of Light, still hovering in midair. _If Pegasus's soul was never to have a major impact on his Leviathan then Dartz must have had another purpose._

Her eyes suddenly widened, the pieces of the puzzle finally coming together. _Wait! The card the pharaoh drew to release the legendary knights! THAT was the key! After Rex and Weevil went after Joey and the pharaoh for a rematch duel, Valon specifically said that there was a possibility that Pegasus might have given the pharaoh something that could defeat the Orichalcos!_

She turned eyes towards Dartz. "You didn't send me to take Pegasus's soul to help your Leviathan, did you? You sent me to do it to prevent Pegasus from giving the pharaoh that Legend of Heart card!"

"How right you are, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. "You see, I knew there would eventually be a way to restore the legendary dragons back to their knight forms again. But for the last 10,000 years, I only had to worry about it once, and that was 5000 years ago when I first encountered the pharaoh himself."

"The shadow magic being wielded in Egypt rivaled the power of the Orichalcos, and it was then when I first realized that the spell I used the turn the legendary knights into dragons could indeed be undone. But with the departure of the Shadow Games, I no longer had to worry about such a thing, and I set my sights on gathering energy for the Leviathan once again." Dartz continued.

"So _that's_ why you were concerned," Mai said, realizing. "When the pharaoh returned to this world, the Shadow Games came back with him."

"And with it came the ability to restore the legendary dragons back to their human forms once again," Dartz finished. "I expected such a move was being done somewhere around the world, and I scoured the Earth to find the very person who could make that happen."

"And you sent me after Pegasus so that I could take his soul before he could finish the card?" Mai seethed. "Well you failed! Pegasus _did_ finish the card, and the pharaoh restored the knights to their human forms once again!"

"As I said, that was something I _also_ anticipated, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. "If the Legendary Knights had the ability to destroy my sacred seal, then I had to find a way to bring it back, and that is where the Pyramid of Light came in to the picture."

_We have to release the knights from those tablets then,_ Mai thought, looking up at the three tablets Timaeus, Critius, and Hermos are sealed in, floating in midair. _They destroyed the seal once, they can do it again._

Easier said than done. The Orichalcos Tablet magic card is in Dartz's graveyard, as is his Whirlwind Dimension magic card. She knew that without the Orichalcos Tablet's effect, Whirlwind Dimension's effect would automatically deactivate. But that would mean she needs to draw a card that can force the Orichalcos Tablet magic card out of the graveyard and deactivate its effect from there, and that would be no easy task.

Nevertheless, Mai felt confident that this time the seal would not be so intimidating. After all, she and the pharaoh have already faced _three layers_ of the seal already. This time, only the Seal of Orichalcos is on the field. Orichalcos Deuteros and Orichalcos Tritos are not. This makes things even better, since she has already faced _that_ danger before, against Rafael on the roof of the Paradias HQ building.

"And now that the Pyramid of Light has finished its work, let the duel continue." Dartz said, holding up a card. "It's my move, and I'll play the magic card: Orichalcos Altar of Creation! Now all I have to do is sacrifice monsters from my hand and I can bring back any number of monsters from my graveyard equal to the number of monsters I sacrifice from my hand."

"So, I'll discard two monster cards. Now return to the field, Raviel, Lord of Phantasms and Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder!" Dartz announced, as the two Sacred Beasts returned to the field.

"Remember, now that the Seal of Orichalcos is back on the field again, I can have up to ten monsters on the field again, and my monsters regain their 500 atk point power boost!" Dartz reminded, as Hamon and Raviel's attacks both increase from 4000 to 4500, the Seal of Orichalcos appearing on their foreheads.

"Did you forget that my Dark Magician Girl and Mai's Harpy Dragon Warrior are protected by my Dimensional Barrier magic card?" Yami replied. "I still have my Archfiend of Gilfer, and Mai has her Cyber Harpy, Harpy's Pet Dragon, and Stone Statue of the Aztecs to protect her!"

"They won't last very long anyway, pharaoh." Dartz replied. "Now, since Raviel and Hamon were my special summons, I still have a normal summon left, so I'll summon this: my Orichalcos Block Fiend in defense mode!"

At this point, a black rectangular box, the front cover with a demonic face, appeared on the field (0 atk, raised to 500, 1000 def). The demon's eyes suddenly flash, and Mai's Cyber Harpy is destroyed, reducing Harpy's Pet Dragon's attack to 2000 again.

"Thanks to the special power of my Orichalcos Block Fiend, I can randomly destroy one monster on the field every turn, as long as that monster's attack is higher than that of Orichalcos Block Fiend." Dartz explained. "And since it only has 500 atk, _all_ of your monsters become targets! Secondly, when Orichalcos Block Fiend is summoned Successfully, I gain 1000 LP!" (Dartz's LP: 1000)

"Now, Raviel and Hamon, destroy the pharaoh's Archfiend of Gilfer and Ms. Valentine's Harpy's Pet Dragon!" Dartz commanded. Raviel and Hamon launch their attacks, and Yami and Mai's monsters are destroyed.

"You just activated my Archfiend of Gilfer's special ability, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "When Archfiend of Gilfer is sent to the graveyard, I can choose one monster on the field and weaken it by 500 attack points, and I choose your Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder!"

At this point, black smoke shot out from Yami's graveyard and struck Hamon, decreasing its attack to 4000.

"That's irrelevant, since my attack now leaves the two of you with nothing but the Stone Statue of the Aztecs left to power up the Dimensional Barrier," Dartz observed. "And once it's gone, I'll finish the two of you off!"

Mai knew it was much worse than that. The Stone Statue of the Aztecs was brought back from the pharaoh's Necromancy magic card. So if it is destroyed, Harpy Dragon Warrior would lose 600 atk points, bringing it down to 3700 atk and making it easier to for Dartz to destroy.

But sacrificing it is a dangerous alternative as well, now that Raviel, Lord of Phantasms is back on the field. If she sacrifices the Stone Stature of the Aztecs for a stronger monster, Raviel's special ability will automatically activate, and Dartz would get a fiend token. He could then sacrifice it to raise the attack of Raviel by 1000, making it even harder to destroy. But Dartz could make that happen simply by sacrificing his Orichalcos Block Fiend for that matter, so her options remain very limited.

The one good thing, however, is that Dartz does not have his Orichalcos Sacred Chamber or Orichalcos Sacred Key on the field with him. That means if she could somehow destroy those Sacred Beasts, Dartz would be unable to bring them back. At least, not anytime soon. But for now she needed to concentrate on the situation in front of her and not think about what Dartz has planned later on. She's sure it wouldn't be pleasant, but if she can't get rid of Raviel and Hamon quickly, she'll lose her chance to save Joey, and she vowed on her life that she wouldn't go back on that promise.

"I think that's enough damage for now. I end my turn." Dartz finished. "Oh and by the way, my Orichalcos Altar of Creation has a second effect. You must destroy the monsters revived from that card before you can attack any of my other monsters, so Divine Serpent is safe from your attacks!"

"I may not have a monster that can destroy your Divine Serpent, but I _do_ have one that can stop your attacks!" Mai shouted, drawing a card.

"And while you do that, my Orichalcos Block Fiend will now activate its special ability, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied, as Orichalcos Block Fiend's defense strength increased to 1500. "During my standby phases, my Orichalcos Block Fiend gains 500 extra defense points!"

"Well _my_ monster is still stronger!" Mai shouted. "Now, I sacrifice my Stone Statue of the Aztecs in order to summon Teva!"

At this point, a 2000 atk point warrior appeared on the field. "When Teva is summoned successfully, you are not allowed to attack next turn." Mai continued.

Dartz laughed. "Well _you_ just activated Raviel's special ability, Ms. Valentine! Every time you normal summon a monster with Raviel on the field, I gain a fiend token!" Raviel's eyes light up, and a fiend token (1000 atk) appeared on Dartz's side of the field.

"And if I cannot destroy your Divine Serpent, I'll simply go for your Sacred Beasts instead!" Mai continued, holding up a card. "Now, I play another Monster Reborn magic card!"

Mai then pointed to Dartz's dark duel disk. "And I'll bring back a monster from _your_ graveyard this time: Orichalcos Abyss Assailant!" As the 2400 atk point monster appeared on the field, she continued, "Now I'll use the special ability of Orichalcos Abyss Assailant to remove one of your monsters from the game and gain the equivalent of its attack strength, and I choose Raviel, Lord of Phantasms!"

Orichalcos Abyss Assailant's sword lit up and fired a blast of energy, destroying Raviel in the process, increasing its own attack to 4500. "And now that Orichalcos Abyss Assailant has 4500 atk points now, I'll destroy Hamon!" Mai shouted.

But as the attack approached Hamon, Orichalcos Block Fiend suddenly jumped into the way, and Orichalcos Abyss Assailant destroyed _it_ instead.

"You just activated my Orichalcos Block Fiend's special ability, Ms. Valentine." Dartz said. "I can substitute it to prevent another one of my monsters from being destroyed in battle. After that, the monster that destroyed Orichalcos Block Fiend is destroyed with it."

Mai covered her eyes as Orichalcos Abyss Assailant is destroyed. "That's irrelevant, Dartz!" she shouted. "You lost one of your most powerful monsters by your own hand!"

"I won't be needing it," Dartz replied. "I still have Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder, as well as the seal to protect me."

"That won't last, Dartz!" Mai countered. "The pharaoh and I destroyed your seal once, we can do it again! Now, I'll play one card face down and end my turn."

"Then allow _me_ to take over!" Yami said. "First, I'll use the power of my Magician's Sanctuary to bring out _this:_ my Dark Eradicator Warlock!" As the 2500 atk point monster appeared on the field, he continued, "Normally, this monster must be summoned by sacrificing my Dark Magician, but my Magician's Sanctuary allows me to skip that step."

"Since that was a special summon, I still have my normal summon left, so I'll summon my Twin Headed Behemoth to the field!" Yami continued, as a 1500 atk point purple dragon appeared on the field.

"That monster is useless, pharaoh." Dartz said. "The only special ability it has is that if I send it to the graveyard by destroying it, it'll return to the field with an attack and defense strength of 1000."

"That's not why I summoned it, Dartz." Yami replied. "Now, I play the magic card: Stamping Destruction! This card only works when I have a dragon monster on the field, like my Twin Headed Behemoth. Now I can destroy a magic or trap card on your side of the field and to 500 points of damage to you, so I choose your Orichalcos Altar of Creation magic card!"

Dartz's magic card is destroyed (Dartz's LP: 500). "And since Stamping Destruction is a normal magic card, my Dark Eradicator Warlock's special ability now activates, doing 1000 points of damage to you!" Yami continued.

At this point, Dartz's LP drop to 0. "That will do for the moment, so I'll place three cards face down." Yami ended, inserting a card into his duel disk.

"Then I'll just have to rid the field of your monsters!" Dartz shouted, holding up a card. "Due to your Teva's special ability, I cannot attack this turn, but that won't matter. Now, I summon my Orichalcos Ninja Guard to the field!" A black ninja appears on the field (1400 atk, raised to 1900, 900 def). "The first thing my new monster does is raise my LP by 1500—"

"No it won't, Dartz!" Mai shouted. "I activate my face down card: Dragon's Gunfire! This magic card only works when a dragon monster is on the field, and the pharaoh's Twin Headed Behemoth will do for that. Now I can either destroy a monster on the field with 800 defense points or less, or do 800 points of damage to your LP. And since your new monster has 900 defense points, I'll have to choose the latter."

"A minor loss," Dartz observed, as his LP drop to 700. "I now activate the other special abilties of my Orichalcos Ninja Guard. One of them allows me to destroy a monster when summoned, so I choose Teva!"

As Mai's monster is destroyed, Dartz continued, "And finally, my Orichalcos Ninja Guard allows me to sacrifice a monster on the field so I can summon a _stronger_ one!"

"Now, I sacrifice your Twin Headed Behemoth, pharaoh!" Dartz announced. "And I'll use it to summon my Orichalcos Death Rider in attack mode!" At this point, a dark reaper looking creature riding on a horse appeared on the field (2200 atk, raised to 2700, 1400 def). "And since your Twin Headed Behemoth was _sacrificed,_ you can't bring it back to the field!"

"You just activated my trap, Dartz!" Yami shouted, as his face down card activated. "It's the trap card: Burst Breath! This card works when a dragon monster on my side of the field is sacrificed, such as my Twin Headed Behemoth. Now it'll destroy every monster on your side of the field who's defense strength is lower than my Twin Headed Behemoth's attack strength, which means your Orichalcos Ninja Guard and Orichalcos Death Rider are now gone!"

The ground on Dartz's side of the field began to shake, and cracks open up. But while Orichalcos Ninja Guard fell into the crack and got destroyed, Orichalcos Death Rider remained on the field.

"Since your Orichalcos Death Rider didn't get destroyed, I'll assume it has a special ability." Mai observed.

"Quite right, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. "My Orichalcos Death Rider is immune to the effects of all trap cards, making it quite an impressive weapon against the two of you."

"Now, I'll have my Orichalcos Death Rider destroy your Dark Eradicator Warlock!" Dartz announced, as Orichalcos Death Rider galloped over to Yami's monster and slashed at it.

"Wait a minute!" Mai protested. "My Teva's special ability is still in effect here! You can't attack this turn!"

"Wrong, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied. "My Orichalcos Death Rider has the special ability. If summoned successfully, then it and another monster of mine are allowed to attack right away for the duration of this turn, even if one of your cards prevents me from doing so. In return, all I have to do is sacrifice a monster on my side of the field to activate the effect, and I choose the fiend token Raviel left of the field before getting destroyed!"

"Well _your_ monster is going down with it!" Yami shouted, as the fiend token disappeared from Dartz's side of the field. "I activate one of my face down cards: Pyramid Energy! This magic card allows me to increase the attack strength of every monster on the field by 200 points for the rest of your turn!" Dark Eradicator Warlock's attack increased to 2700, Dark Magician Girl's attack increased to 3600, and Harpy Dragon Warrior's attack increased to 4500.

"Well Dark Eradicator Warlock was your last spare monster on the field, pharaoh!" Dartz countered, as Orichalcos Death Rider and Dark Eradicator Warlock are destroyed. "And this means that your Dimensional Barrier magic card's effects can no longer protect your Dark Magician Girl or Ms. Valentine's Harpy Dragon Warrior! And in case you've forgotten, I still have Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder on the field, complete with 4000 attack points! So it looks like one of you is about to duel alone right after this attack, and your soul will supply the energy to my Leviathan!"

"With what? Your Hamon is too weak for my Harpy Dragon Warrior!" Mai shouted.

"That's what _you_ think!" Dartz countered. "I'll equip it with the magic card: Lightning Strike! This equip magic card raises the attack strength of any thunder monster I equip it to by 500 points, and I choose Hamon! So it looks like the two monsters are equal in strength now!"

"Now Hamon, destroy Ms. Valentine's Harpy Dragon Warrior!" Dartz ordered. Hamon's mouth opened up and fired a beam of energy at Mai's monster. Since Harpy Dragon Warrior's attack is also 4500, it too fired a beam of energy at Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder, engulfing the field in a bright flash of light.

"I may lose Hamon in the process, but Ms. Valentine will lose her life-saving monster and her soul, so it looks like you are about to be dueling alone in a matter of moments, pharaoh!" Dartz observed.


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter 47

"Time to give the Great Leviathan your soul, Ms. Valentine!" Dartz said, as the bright light from Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder and Harpy Dragon Warrior's attack subsided.

But when the light subsided, both monster remained unharmed on the field. "What! How did you escape?" Dartz demanded.

"Did you forget that I still had a face down card on the field, Dartz?" Yami said. "It was the trap card: Negate Attack, which forced Hamon to end its battle phase before it could destroy Mai's Harpy Dragon Warrior, so Mai remains safe!"

Dartz growled in frustration. "In that case, I'll play the magic card: Orichalcos Creation of Life! This card allows me to special summon three 4-star or lower monsters from my hand, and I choose _these_ three: my three Orichalcos Shadow Binding Rings!" Three black rings immediately appear on the field (0 atk, raised to 500).

"Then I'll take over from here!" Mai announced. "Now, I summon my Shadow Tamer to the field!" As the 800 atk point blue haired warrior girl appeared on the field, she continued, "Now, thanks to my Shadow Tamer's special ability, I can take control of one of your monsters, and I choose Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder!"

But suddenly, one of the three Orichalcos Shadow Binding Rings glowed, and Hamon remained on Dartz's side of the field.

"As you can see, as long as Orichalcos Shadow Biding Ring remains on the field, no monsters of mine can be taken control of by you." Dartz said.

"In that case, I'll just make sure you can't bring back your Raviel, Lord of Phantasms!" Yami shouted, drawing his card. "Now, I summon my Witch Doctor of Chaos to the field!"

Witch Doctor of Chaos appeared on the field (500 atk), and Raviel is removed from Dartz's dark duel disk. "Thanks to my monster's special ability, I can select a monster from your graveyard and remove it from play, and I choose Raviel, Lord of Phantasms!"

"And since that was a normal summon, I'll also use the power of my Magician's Sanctuary to summon _this_ monster: Mind on Air!" Yami shouted, as a new magician appeared on the field.

"Your Mind on Air monster only has 1600 defense points, pharaoh." Dartz observed. "What do you think you can do with that?"

"Because now you can't have any nasty surprises for me and Mai anymore, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "As long as my Mind on Air monster stays on the field, you must show the two of us your hand every turn!"

"Oh _please,_ pharaoh." Dartz replied. "Need I remind you that you and Ms. Valentine have absolutely no knowledge of my Orichalcos deck?"

"That may well be, but at least we can see what monster you have in your hand!" Yami countered. "Now, I'll play one card face down and end my turn."

"Very well then," Dartz said, drawing his card. "Since your Mind on Air's special ability is now activated, I will now show you my hand."

Mai knew the pharaoh was right. The two of them may be able to see Dartz's hand, but they couldn't tell what effects his magic and trap cards could do. He currently has five cards in his hand, and only one of them is a monster card.

"I could have my Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder destroy one of your puny monsters, but why waste such a powerful monster on such a matter when another monster can do just the same?" Dartz taunted.

"What are you up to?" Mai demanded.

"Why use such a powerful monster for it, when I can summon _this!"_ Dartz announced. "Now, I call my Orichalcos Knight of the Abyss to the field!" At this point, a knight in dark armor emitting a dark purple aura appeared on the field (1400 atk, raised to 1900).

"Now my Orichalcos Knight of the Abyss, destroy the pharaoh's Mind on Air!" Dartz ordered. Orichalcos Knight of the Abyss's eyes suddenly glow, and launched its attack on Yami's monster.

But when its sword collided with Mind on Air, it is immediately repelled. "What! But why didn't your monster get destroyed?" Dartz demanded.

"I just activated my face down card, Dartz." Yami replied. "It is a magic card known as Magician's Unite! This card only works when I have two or more magicians on the field, and my Witch Doctor of Chaos and my Mind on Air will do just that. Then, Magician's Unite will then allow two magicians that I select to become _one_ monster, with an attack of 3000! So it looks like your Orichalcos Knight of the Abyss is about to be destroyed!"

But as the attack from Orichalcos Knight of the Abyss is repelled by Witch Doctor of Chaos and Mind on Air, fused together as one monster with 3000 atk, Dartz's monster only staggered back a little.

"As you can see, pharaoh, Orichalcos Knight of the Abyss has a special ability as well. It cannot be destroyed by any monster with an attack strength of 2500 or more." Dartz said. "And when you activated your Magician's Unite magic card, you activated my Orichalcos Knight of the Abyss's _second _special ability!"

"What second special ability?" Mai demanded.

"If my Orichalcos Knight of the Abyss's attack on a monster results in failure, it has the ability to attack a second time." Dartz explained. "But with three other monsters fueling the power of your Dimensional Barrier which protects Dark Magician Girl and Harpy Dragon Warrior, I'll simply have my Orichalcos Knight of the Abyss destroy Shadow Tamer instead."

Mai covered her eyes as her monster is destroyed. "Fine, Dartz!" she shouted. "I've got more monsters where that came from! And don't forget, the pharaoh's Mind on Air is still on the field, so you still have to show us your hand!"

"Like that's actually going to give you an advantage, Ms. Valentine." Dartz replied, ignoring Mai's anger. "I'll just place this card face down on the field. It will do you no good anyway to see the card. The text is written in Atlantean, so you can't read it."

"Maybe not, but I _can_ destroy your Orichalcos Binding Rings!" Mai shouted. "Now, I summon Warrior Lady of the Wasteland to the field!" As the 1100 atk monster appeared on the field, she continued, "Now Warrior Lady of the Wasteland, destroy one of his Orichalcos Binding Rings!"

Warrior Lady of the Wasteland launched its attack, and Dartz's monster is destroyed. "I think that will do for the time being, Dartz." Mai finished. "So, I'll play a card face down."

"And now I'll activate my face down magic card: Orichalcos Spiritualism!" Dartz shouted, as a spirit cloud appeared on the field. "This magic card is activated whenever one of my monsters is destroyed, and allows me to take control of the monster that destroyed it, so your Warrior Lady of the Wasteland belongs to _me_ now, Ms. Valentine!"

"Well not for long, Dartz!" Yami shouted, drawing his card. "Now, I play the ritual magic card: Incandescent Ordeal! This allows me to ritual summon my Legendary Flame Lord to the field, as long as I offer monster with 7 or more stars from my hand or deck, and my Witch Doctor of Chaos and Mind on Air will do just that since their levels add up to 8 stars!"

At this point, a giant pillar of flame appeared on the field, engulfing Yami's two monsters. When the flames subsided, Legendary Flame Lord was standing in their place (2400 atk).

"Now Legendary Flame Lord, destroy Warrior Lady of the Wasteland!" Yami ordered. Legendary Flame Lord's fire rod lit up and shot out a flame, destroying Warrior Lady of the Wasteland in the process.

"And this activates Warrior Lady of the Wasteland's special ability, Dartz!" Mai shouted. "Since it was originally _my_ monster, I can now special summon any warrior monster from my deck to the field, as long as it has no more than 1500 attack points, so I choose Exiled Force!"

At this point, five warrior monsters immediately appear on the field. "So what, Ms. Valentine?" Dartz said, not impressed. "Exiled Force only has 1000 atk points. What do you think you can pull off?"

"Quite obviously, to win the duel!" Mai shouted. _All I have to do is make sure Dartz doesn't destroy Exiled Force once it's my turn again. Then, I'll activate Exiled Force's special ability and destroy his Divine Serpent._

"Now," Yami continued, "I'll use the power of my Magician's Sanctuary to bring out _this_ monster: Hannibal Necromancer!"

"Your Hannibal Necromancer only has 1400 attack points, pharaoh." Dartz observed. "It can't do anything against my Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder. Not to mention that I'll be taking control of another one of your monsters next turn. You see, Orichalcos Spiritualism is a _continuous_ magic card, and after the first time I use it, I am allowed to take control of one of your monsters every turn!"

"That is _not_ going to happen, Dartz!" Yami countered. "Now, I activate the special ability of my Hannibal Necromancer! If it summoned successfully in any way, it gains a spell counter. All I have to do is remove that spell counter and I can destroy a magic card on the field, and I choose your Orichalcos Spiritualism!"

Dartz covered his eyes as his magic card is destroyed. "Fine, pharaoh!" he shouted. "Finish your move!"

"Next I'll place one card face down," Yami continued, inserting a card into his duel disk. "Now, since I have only one card left in my hand, I'll play _this_: Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight!"

"Not bad," Dartz said, as a knight in shining armor riding on a horse appeared on the field (2300 atk). "Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight's special ability allows it to be normal summoned if it is the only card left in your hand, but it still won't help you."

"Really? Then let's see what _you've _got once I finished my move!" Yami countered. "Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight, destroy his Orichalcos Knight of the Abyss!" Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight immediately galloped over to Dartz's monster and slashed at it. "And since Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight only has 2300 attack points, your Orichalcos Knight of the Abyss will be destroyed this time!" Yami shouted.

"Well now it's time for me to turn things around, pharaoh." Dartz replied, drawing his card. "Now, I'll start things off by playing the magic card: Orichalcos Whirlwind! This allows me to transfer any two monster, magic, or trap cards from my deck to my hand. In return, my opponents are allowed to draw until each of you are holding 5 cards in your hands."

As Yami and Mai drew their cards, Dartz continued, "Next I'll sacrifice my two Orichalcos Binding Rings in order to summon _this_: Orichalcos Caliber Soldier!"

At this point, a giant demonic looking soldier appeared on the field (2600 atk, raised to 3100). "Now I'll activate my Orichalcos Caliber Soldier's special ability, which allows me to destroy a monster on the turn it is summoned, so I choose you Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight, pharaoh!"

"Well _you _have to lose one monster as well, Dartz!" Mai shouted, as Yami's monster is destroyed. "You forget that I have a face down card on the field, and now it's time for me to activate it: Shadow Balance! This trap makes the number of monsters on your side of the field equal to that of mine. Since I have two monsters and you have three, you have to lose one monster!"

At this point a giant scale appeared on the field, holding up all of Dartz's monster in it. "And no matter which monster it chooses, you will lose a powerful one!" Mai continued. _If I'm lucky, it might choose Dartz's Divine Serpent, which would end the duel and allow me to save Joey._

To Mai's dismay, however, her trap card chose Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder instead.

Dartz laughed. "Did you _really_ think you would be that lucky, Ms. Valentine? All of your attempts to defeat me before had failed, what made you think that your Shadow Balance trap card would have been any different?"

"At any rate, the time has come to rid _another_ one of your monsters! Orichalcos Caliber Soldier, destroy the pharaoh's Hannibal Necromancer!" Dartz ordered. Orichalcos Caliber Soldier launched its attack, and Hannibal Necromancer is destroyed. "Next I'll play two card face down and end my turn."

"Big mistake, Dartz!" Mai shouted, drawing her card. "You should have destroyed my Exiled Force instead! For once I tribute this monster, it can destroy a monster on the field! So now, it's time I finish you off!"

"Now I sacrifice Exiled Force to summon my Dark Witch to the field!" Mai announced. "It may only have 1800 attack points and no special abilities, but Exiled Force's effect will now activate, and I will now destroy your Divine Serpent!"

But to Mai's surprise, Orichalcos Caliber Soldier disappeared from the field instead. "What! But why didn't your serpent get destroyed?" she demanded.

"With one of my face down cards, of course." Dartz replied. "It is a magic card known as Orichalcos Decree, which activates when a monster of mine is targeted by a monster's effect, and allows me to change the target to a different monster on my side of the field."

Mai sighed in dismay. She had really hoped that her tactic would have ended the duel. Now she is forced onto the defensive end once again.

"Mai's efforts were not in vain, Dartz!" Yami countered. "Now, I reveal _my_ face down card: Spiral Spear Strike!"

Dartz laughed. "That can't help you, pharaoh. You already lost your Swift Gaia the Knight."

"Wrong, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "This is the third magic card activated since I summoned my Legendary Flame Lord to the field, which means my monster now has three spell counters on it! Now by removing thee spell counters, Legendary Flame Lord's special ability activates, allowing me to destroy every other monster on both sides of the field!"

Mai gasped. "Pharaoh, have you lost it? That will destroy _our_ monsters as well!"

"Relax, Mai." Yami assured her. "The Dimensional Barrier I played protects Dark Magician Girl and Harpy Dragon Warrior from _all_ card effects and battle, including our own, so Legendary Flame Lord's effect can't harm them, only your Dark Witch."

He then turned to Dartz. "But your Divine Serpent will not be so lucky. So now, I call upon my Legendary Flame Lord's special ability: destroy every other monster on the field and end this duel!"

Legendary Flame Lord's rod lit up, engulfing the entire field in smoke. Mai's Dark Witch is destroyed, but her Harpy Dragon Warrior remained safe, as did the Yami's Dark Magician Girl.

But when the smoke cleared on Dartz's side of the field, his Divine Serpent was still there. "Always thinking you had won so easily, pharaoh?" he laughed. "You forgot that I still had a face down card on the field, which I activated: Serpent's Shield of Hope! This trap card is activated only when my Divine Serpent is on the field, and allows it to escape harm for the duration of the turn."

Yami clenched his fist in frustration as Dartz continued, "And that's not all, the trap card also allows me to special summon a monster with 1000 atk or less to the field right away, so I choose _this_: Orichalcos Cursed Beast in defense mode!"

As a giant brown beast appeared on the field (900 atk, raised to 1400, 1500 def), Dartz continued, "And Orichalcos Cured Beast has a special ability as well. For when it is summoned successfully, I gain 1000 LP!"

"And those LP are about to be lost _right now!"_ Yami shouted. "Now, I activate _another_ effect of my Magician's Sanctuary magic card, for if I have a magician on the field, I can activate any magic card I've used during the duel. In exchange, I cannot special summon any magicians via my Magician's Sanctuary magic card this turn."

"What are you up to, pharaoh?" Mai asked, curious.

"Just watch, Mai." Yami replied. "Now, the magic card I choose to reactivate is my Polymerization magic card! Now I use it to fuse _these_ two monsters from my hand: Gaia the Fierce Knight and Curse of Dragon! Now come forth: Gaia the Dragon Champion!"

"And now you'll see the why I activated my Spiral Spear Strike magic card, Dartz!" Yami continued, as Gaia the Dragon Champion appeared on the field (2600 atk) and destroyed Orichalcos Cursed Beast. (Dartz's LP: 0)

"Spiral Spear Strike's effect kicks in if Gaia the Fierce Knight, Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight, or Gaia the Dragon Champion is on the field." Yami explained. "Then, if one such monster destroys one of _your_ defense position monsters and my monster has a higher attack, you lose the difference in LP. So thanks to my Gaia the Dragon Champion's effect, you just lost 1100 LP!"

"And Spiral Spear Strike comes with another effect too," Yami continued. "If Gaia the Dragon Champion is the one that inflicted the battle damage, I can discard a card from my hand and draw two more cards from my deck."

"Once again, you're left with _nothing,_ Dartz!" Mai shouted. "Your Divine Serpent is still trapped in the pharaoh's Grief Tablet, and you can't destroy our monsters to win the duel. Looks like all you can do is stall now!"

Dartz laughed. "Is that a fact, Ms. Valentine? Do you honestly think that just because I can't destroy your Harpy Dragon Warrior and the pharaoh's Dark Magician Girl automatically means that I can't win this duel?"

"Then what do you have planned, Dartz?" Yami demanded.

"Oh you'll find out right now, pharaoh." Dartz replied. "I was prepared for even your Dimension Barrier trick. But that isn't the _only_ way to win a duel."

"None of us have any LP left, and you can't destroy our two monsters!" Mai countered. "So what other method do you have if you're so confident that you can still win?"

"When the duel first began, I had concentrated mostly on the pharaoh." Dartz replied, ignoring Mai's question. "He has the much stronger life force, so if he was taken by the Orichalcos first, I just may not even need your soul to awaken the Leviathan, Ms. Valentine. It looks like I'll have to eliminate the weaker opponent first, and _then_ focus on the pharaoh."

"_This_ strategy if mine is devoted specially for you, Ms. Valentine. Observe!" Dartz continued, as the Pyramid of Light, still hovering above them, suddenly began to glow.


	48. Chapter 48

Chapter 48

"What are you up to, Dartz?" Mai demanded, as the Pyramid of Light continued to glow brightly. But then, she gasped in horror.

As the Pyramid of Light continued to glow, dark purple shadows began to encircle the three of them. This was exactly Marik pulled on her during Battle City. Of course, back then she had no idea what the dark purple fog was, but she did now. The fog shadows are part of the Shadow Realm, and she was once again being taken there for yet _another_ Shadow Game.

"Is that what I think it is?" Yami shouted, recognizing the shadows.

"Very observant of you, pharaoh." Dartz replied. "The dark fog is the Shadow Realm itself, and this duel is about to get a whole lot worse for the two of you!"

"How can _you _open the Shadow Realm?" Yami demanded. "You don't wield a Millennium Item!"

Dartz laughed. "Did you forget that I spent a great deal of time analyzing the Pyramid of Light and restoring most of its power to it before you or even Ms. Valentine even _encountered_ the Orichalcos? The Pyramid of Light has extremely difficult to bend to the will of the Orichalcos, and I still have not fully accomplished it yet. However, enough of it has been accomplished for me to pull off this event, and that is all I need for now."

As the dark purple shadows touched the Seal of Orichalcos, a bright flash of light occurred. At this point, a giant maelstrom suddenly formed and swirled around Dartz, Mai, and Yami.

"What is the meaning of this, Dartz?" Mai demanded angrily.

Dartz laughed. "I think the time has come for the two of you to experience what would happen when the power of the Orichalcos and the power of the Shadow Realm are combined Ms. Valentine."

Mai shuddered. During Battle City she was nearly driven completely insane by Marik's duel, when Marik opened the doors to the Shadow Realm and completely altered the rules of the game. For every time one of her monsters was destroyed, she lost someone from her memory. First Tea, and then Joey. If it weren't for the pharaoh who restored her confidence, she never would have been able to continue on with the duel.

Not that it made a difference in the end. When she took the Winged Dragon of Ra from Marik, she wanted to end the duel in a fancy way and finish Marik off with his own Egyptian God card. Instead, summoning Ra turned out to be the worst decision she made in that entire duel. She was unable to read the ancient text printed on the card, and it turned out that only be reading that text could she control Ra. On the next turn, Marik used Holding Arms and Holding Legs to chain her to the Sacred Stone of Oujah, then took control of Ra himself. Joey, no longer caring about the duel, climbed up to the platform and forced the shadow spell Marik cast upon her to weaken, allowing her to finally remember him. Furious, Marik tried to kill both of them with Ra, and no matter what she said to get Joey to leave, he refused to, promising that he would keep her safe regardless of what happened to him.

The pharaoh then jumped into the way of the blast, taking the entire blow himself so that she and Joey would be safe. As soon as the duel ended, she wanted to embrace Joey for his act of bravery, knowing fully well that Joey would have indeed taken that blow for her had the pharaoh not stepped in. But at that moment, Marik used the Millennium Rod and sent her mind into the Shadow Realm, where the only thing she experienced was being trapped in an hourglass and being slowly buried by the falling sand.

When she woke up again, she was laying in a hospital bed in Kaiba Craft 3, with Joey's sister Serenity by her side, telling her that Joey tried everything in the hopes that Marik would bring her back. She further explained that Joey's attempts nearly got him killed, as Marik tried to kill him with Ra's most powerful form: its phoenix form. Joey was burned alive and ended up on another hospital bed. Under normal conditions, he shouldn't have been able to fully recover for at least a week, but he was up and conscious within a mere hour. Serenity further explained that Joey felt terrible about being unable to keep his promise of freeing her, but unfortunately for her, she was too stupid at that time to realize that it didn't matter. What _really_ mattered was that Joey risked everything in the hopes of getting her out of the Shadow Realm, and not whether he succeeded or not.

After Battle City, she vowed that she would become the best duelist in the world, but the nightmares from Marik's shadow spell still tormented her day and night. But no matter how hard she fought them, the nightmares continued. For days she then prayed in the hopes that she would receive something that would allow her to finally control those nightmares.

That was when Valon came into the picture. And after her defeat, she couldn't take it anymore. She had broken down, crying, vowing to give _anything_ for her to be strong again. Not just her own nightmares, but to become the world's best duelist as well. Valon, under the influence of Dartz, asked her to come with him, with the bright promise that Dartz would have _exactly_ what she needed.

And when she received the power of the Orichalcos from Dartz, she felt a sudden surge of rage build up inside her. The nightmares of Marik's shadow spell quickly disappeared. When she dueled, she felt she had complete control, which Valon confirmed to her when she took Pegasus's soul.

But when Joey began to take control of their Orichalcos duel in the Industrial Illusions building after receiving the Claw of Hermos, the nightmares from Marik's shadow spell began to come back. She didn't realize it then, but Joey was trying to help her. Before receiving his legendary dragon, Joey didn't want to fight back because he didn't want to hurt her, while she repaid him by _constantly_ hurting him. And while now she was grateful that Valon had stopped the duel to prevent anyone from losing their soul, she was furious at him back then, insisting that she had the entire duel still under control.

Now it became clear to Mai that the Orichalcos didn't really allow her to _gain power_ over her nightmares, it merely suppressed them. Now she understood that she never should have fought those nightmares in the first place, all she succeeded in doing was allow the hold they had over her stronger. But back then, she didn't realize it. And after receiving the power of the Orichalcos from Dartz, she no longer saw Valon as anything but a mere stepping stone on her path to absolute power.

It was the reason why her sad feelings for Valon losing his soul after his defeat from Joey quickly faded in that empty lot. And when Joey challenged her to a duel, despite being completely drained of strength, she jumped at the opportunity, knowing that _this_ time, with her deck rebuilt, she would finally be able to challenge his legendary dragon, defeat Joey, and move on with her life to become the best duelist in the world.

But during the final moments of that duel, she finally realized that winning a duel _does not_ also mean gaining power in the process. When she was about to call her last attack and win, the memories that she and Joey shared finally came back. It was during that moment that she realized that the Orichalcos did not show the reality of the relationship between her and Joey, it merely manipulated them. It had deceived her into thinking that Joey was the reason why her life was so miserable, and had tricked her into trying to seal Joey away.

It was at that moment that she realized that she had crossed _way_ too far over the line. Joey was already in pain, but all she did was deepen it. At such low endurance at that time, her Harpy Lady Phoenix Formation could have killed Joey in the process when she used it to destroy his Gilford the Lightning. She vowed that from that point on, and for the rest of the duel, she would forget about she goals the achieve power, forget about becoming the best duelist in the world, and just do the right thing for once.

But that vow went down the drain. The moment she made that vow, Joey began to collapse, finally unable to stand any longer. As she ran to over to him to hold him back up, the Seal of Orichalcos began to shrink around them. Mentally, she begged the Orichalcos to spare Joey's soul, but the seal did no such thing. She recalled how Joey would have taken the blow for her during Battle City when Marik tried to kill her with the Winged Dragon of Ra, and vowed that she would do the same thing for Joey in this situation. And if her soul was taken in the process of keeping Joey safe then so be it, it would all be worth it if Joey was spared.

Unfortunately for her, Joey was thinking virtually the exact same thing. And at the very last moment, he pushed her out of the seal so she could live. The pain she felt in that moment was greater than anything she had ever felt before. All the pains she endured in the world before that moment was nothing compared to what she saw. And it was from that event that the Orichalcos spell over her was finally broken. She remembered cradling Joey in her arms, crying, mentally begging him to come back to her, but deep down she knew all along that what she was asking simply wasn't possible.

It was then that she realized how selfish she had been, and how cruel she had been to Joey for all those months she had known him. And for the first time, in years, she was terrified beyond imagination. The experience of Marik's shadow spell of trapping her in that hourglass was frightening, but it was nothing compared to losing Joey to the Orichalcos. Joey had been one of Yugi's friends for years, she had no right to wreck their group. They were the only real friends she ever really had, and she turned her back on them because she was blinded by her lust for power, her inability to see friendship, and her stupidity to seek help when she actually needed it.

While she wanted the pharaoh, Tristan, and Tea to forgive her for what she did, she also did not expect such a thing to happen. Under normal circumstances, no one would take pity on her. Not after what she just pulled. And when Hermos took over Joey's body and displayed what happened in the empty lot to the three of them, she was more terrified than ever. While part of her wanted to explain to them that beating on her wouldn't bring Joey back, it was her fault why Joey was in such a position in the first place. Besides, she had no right to even _think_ about asking them for forgiveness, much less actually _asking_ it.

And then came her biggest terror of them all. She did want to see Joey again, but as soon as Hermos released Joey from the seal, he challenged her to a duel immediately. At first, she was confused why Joey would do such a thing, but it all made sense for her when Joey activated the Seal of Orichalcos against her. Clearly Joey was furious with her, and he had every right to be. Normally any other guy who had showed such anger at her would have just been a major annoyance and she would just brush it off or laugh it off, but Joey's anger made her feel as small as a mouse. It was clear, at least from her point of view, that after all the cruelties she put him through, Joey was finally seeking retribution. No part of her wanted to fight back at Joey, knowing fully well that she had put him through enough pain already. However, she also remembered that Joey did the exact same thing during their duel in the Industrial Illusions building, and it completely backfired on him. It became clear to her that Joey was going to do the exact same thing on her whether she fought back or not.

But this duel was the first time she saw Joey's rage. During that entire duel, all she saw from Joey was his determination for vengeance. Nothing was left of the Joey she deeply cared for, and it was all her fault for Joey's change in personality. But she also knew that she had done too much damage to Joey already, and it was time for her to do something right for a change. So when she fought on in that duel, the only thing she wanted was to see the Joey she cared about, and nothing more.

Unfortunately, there was a part of her that did not believe that what she wanted was _ever_ going to happen unless she actually _beat_ Joey in that duel. This in turn presented a _major_ problem. This was the first time she dueled when she was fighting for something other than herself, and Joey was wielding the power of the Orichalcos against her. After he was taken by the seal, she had finally admitted to herself that she was _never_ the stronger duelist compared to Joey, so logically she should have no real chance of winning the duel Joey forced her into.

It was during this duel that she finally tried to reach out, to try to believe that there was something more happening in the seal than just the two of them dueling. She tried to convince herself that there was someone watching over her in that duel, someone who believed that she would win so she could see Joey happy again. And while part of her mind was screaming at her, demanding to know why she was fighting on instead of deserving the same fate she put Joey in, another part of her mind was telling her that she _should_ try to reunite herself with Joey again. However, losing the duel and having the Orichalcos take her to him is taking the easy way out, and it is _not_ what she should do. If she wanted to see Joey again, she had to be willing to fight for him, no matter what scenario she is forced into.

And when that duel finally ended, Joey had helped her in ways she never thought possible. He extracted the last remnants of the Orichalcos magic within her. He allowed her to use his legendary dragon. He even gave her many cards from _his_ deck to help her accomplish her goal. If it weren't for Joey's help, she would have lost the Orichalcos duel against Rafael and never would have even _reached_ Dartz, much less than actually _confronting_ him.

While she knew that defeating Dartz and saving Joey would be no easy task, she had no idea just how far the duel with him was going to take both her and the pharaoh. It was a far tougher duel she had ever thought would be, and the only reason why she was still standing was because she wanted to save Joey. She swore on her life she would bring him back, and this is one of those promises where she absolutely _had_ to keep. She _had_ to make things right. She _had _to tell Joey that was he right all along, and that his sacrifice to knock her back into her senses will not be in vain.

But now, with the whirlwind of violence from the maelstrom created when the shadows from Pyramid of Light touched the Seal of Orichalcos swirling around her, the pharaoh, and Dartz, her confidence has been shaken. She remembered how Joey went through unimaginable pain just because he believed that she valued their friendship, both in the Shadow Game with Marik, and not one, but _three_ Orichalcos duels for her. And in the end, she never even told him that she valued their friendship just as much as he did, if not more.

Since the moment she lost Joey in that vacant lot, wave after wave of guilt had washed over her, the guilt she carried that Joey never knew how she really felt towards him. Guilt that none of this would have happened to Joey if she had just opened her eyes to reality. And finally, the guilt that after everything Joey did to help her, she was still unable to bring Joey back like she had promised she would.

And now, she was facing the worst possible situation ever. First the shadow magic that nearly got Joey killed just to bring her mind out of the Shadow Realm, then the Orichalcos magic that cost Joey his soul to bring her back to her senses. The two factors that caused the worst nightmares in her entire life, and now she had to face them _at the same time._

"This situation is made just for you, Ms. Valentine." Dartz said, snapping Mai out of her thoughts.

"You can't scare me with this, Dartz!" she shouted. "It's not the first time I've played a Shadow Game before! Your tricks won't work on me this time!"

Dartz laughed. "And who said anything about me throwing the exact same Shadow Game as Marik did to you in the Battle City finals? No, I have something else in store for you."

"Enough!" Yami shouted. "What are you planning, Dartz?"

"Just watch, pharaoh." Dartz replied, as the maelstrom continued to swirl around them, and the Seal of Orichalcos began to generate another vision. This time, it showed Mai's duel with Marik in Kaiba Craft 3 in the Battle City finals. The vision went on to display how Mai's spirit was nearly broken after losing the memory of Joey from the Shadow Game.

"As you can see Ms. Valentine, that Shadow Game nearly broke you in two." Dartz said. "However, the pharaoh used _his own_ shadow magic to help restore your confidence." At this point, the vision changed, displaying how Yami went into Mai's mind and got her to continue the duel.

"If I use the tactic Marik used, by erasing your memory for every monster I destroy, it would do no good this time. First of all, it's not the first time you've encountered this. Secondly, the pharaoh is right next to you, and would restore your confidence. Therefore, I'll simply have to try something the pharaoh _can't_ restore."

At this point, three bars immediately appeared on the field, one by Dartz, one by Yami, and one by Mai. The bars are equally split into nine sections: blue, turquoise, emerald, yellow-green, gold, yellow-orange, orange, red-orange, and red.

"And what kind of trick are you playing, Dartz?" Mai demanded, confused by the sudden appearance of the bars.

Dartz laughed. "These are no ordinary bars, Ms. Valentine. These are energy gauges. I have not been able to fully perfect the shadow powers from the Pyramid of Light yet, so the Shadow Game rules apply to me as well."

"Now, here is how the energy gauges work. Since none of us have any LP left, every time a monster is destroyed or endures pain, you will lose part of your life energy, leaving you weaker than you once were. Oh, and this includes every single monster that was ever destroyed since the moment our duel began, so I hope the two of you haven't lost count."

Mai gasped. This was absolute madness. She and the pharaoh have lost dozens of monsters since the duel with Dartz began. Now for every single one of them she had lost, she was about to lose part of her strength.

"Now it's time to see how strong the two of you truly are, for the energy drain will now commence!" Dartz announced, as the life energies from him, Yami, and Mai are extracted from all the monsters they had lost since the beginning of the duel.

"Mai!" Yami cried, as Mai shrieked in pain, then collapsed to the ground.

"As you can see, pharaoh, Ms. Valentine's inner strength is far inferior to my own." Dartz said. "If you don't believe me, just take a look at the energy gauges!"

Yami gasped in horror as he observed the energy gauges. Dartz was right. He and Dartz's energy gauges were still very high, only falling to the middle of the emerald zone. But Mai's energy gauge had already fallen to the middle of the red-orange zone.

"I don't think it will take a genius for you to figure out why you and I still have high energy gauges and Ms. Valentine does not, pharaoh." Dartz continued. "Though I must say I'm surprised. That energy extraction should have drained _all_ of her energy gauge. It's a miracle for her to actually have that final chunk remaining."

Yami opened his mouth to retaliate, but then his eyes widened in realization as to why he and Dartz's energy gauges are still so high and Mai's was so low.

Being fully corrupted by the Orichalcos, Dartz can draw power from the Orichalcos buried deep within him for energy. Similarly, he had the Millennium Puzzle, which had stopped the Seal of Orichalcos from taking his soul at a point in the duel, when Dartz nearly broke his sprit, along with Mai's.

However, Mai had neither the power of the Orichalcos _nor_ the power of a Millennium Item to draw on for strength. Therefore, she had to carry the burden on her shoulders alone. Clearly Dartz's move has drained her of most of her strength.

"You…can't…stop me," Mai choked, struggling to get back onto her feet. "I've…come…too far now."

"And just what do you think you can do, Ms. Valentine?" Dartz taunted. "The pharaoh can't restore your strength, so he can't help you this time!"

"That enough, Dartz!" Yami shouted angrily. "Your magic tricks have _far_ crossed the line this time! Using the Pyramid of Light to create a Shadow Game within an Orichalcos duel and draining Mai's strength for your own enjoyment!"

Dartz laughed. "Oh it is far more than _that,_ pharaoh. This is what is going to help knock out Ms. Valentine once and for all, and then I can focus on _you!"_

"What? How do you intend on doing that?" Yami demanded.

With a gesture of his hand, the Seal of Orichalcos began to generate a vision before the three of them. "I don't suppose you still remember _this_ particular duel, do you, pharaoh?" Dartz mocked.

Dartz, Yami and Mai are now in the seal, floating high above Kaiba's Alcatraz Duel Tower. At the top of the tower, a Shadow Game between Joey and Marik was taking place. In the scene, Joey demanded that Marik free Mai from the Shadow Realm immediately, but Marik just continued with the Shadow Game.

Yami's eyes widened. Dartz's magic was now nearly identical to the rules of the Shadow Game Marik used on Joey in that duel.

The scene then moved forward, showing Marik explaining the rules of the Shadow Game to Joey, and how it will be _much_ worse compared to the one Mai suffered through. As usual, the losing opponent will be sent to the Shadow Realm. However, there is more. For every monster destroyed or suffers pain, that pain will also come out of the player's life energy, leaving him weaker than before. The scene then shifted to another vision, where Marik transformed Ra into its phoenix form and destroyed Joey's Gilford the Lightning, as Joey screamed in pain as he was burned alive.

Tears slid down Mai's cheeks. This was exactly what Joey was thinking after she destroyed his Gilford the Lightning with her Harpy Lady Phoenix Formation, which Hermos had shown her in that vacant lot where she lost Joey. Had she known Joey had undergone that kind of pain before, she would never have even considered using that card on Joey.

"Now pay attention, Ms. Valentine. Look how close Joseph Wheeler actually came in succeeding." Dartz continued, as the vision showed Joey, burned and scorched, at the end of his strength, summoning out Gearfried the Iron Knight, but collapsed onto the ground before he could call his attack.

"But what matters is the result, and close doesn't cut it in the end." Dartz went on. "Just when he was about to win, his willpower finally failed him."

"Enough!" Mai shouted, finally rising to one knee. "What does this have to do with _me?"_

Dartz laughed, as the vision changed the Mai dueling Joey in the vacant lot. "Still don't get it, do you, Ms. Valentine? That energy gauge displays your life force. For every monster that I destroy or cause pain to, your life force will gradually decrease. Once that energy gauge is completely depleted your endurance will be all gone, which means you won't have any strength left to continue the duel!"

"And you saw first hand what will happen when _that_ happens, don't you?" Dartz mocked, as the vision changed to show Joey's knees buckled, finally unable to stand any longer. As Mai screamed in horror and ran over to him to hold him back up, the Seal of Orichalcos began to shrink around him.

"So as you can see, I no longer need to destroy your Harpy Dragon Warrior to win, Ms. Valentine." Dartz explained. "All I need to do is destroy a few more monsters of _any_ kind of yours and your energy gauge will be empty, ending the duel for you!"

"You can't do this!" Yami protested.

"Sure I can, pharaoh." Dartz replied, ignoring Yami's anger. "It's not like I'm the _only_ one here who is using magic in this duel anyway. You use the power of your Millennium Puzzle all the time."

"True, but I never use it to spread evil!" Yami countered.

"Oh but you are, pharaoh." Dartz replied. "You are just denying the truth. And once I use this tactic to get rid of Ms. Valentine, I'll go straight for _you!"_

"Your tactic won't work on me, Dartz!" Mai seethed angrily, clenching her teeth in anger, as she slowly got back onto her feet. "If you think I can't endure this kind of pain, you're dead wrong!"

Dartz laughed. "Oh _please,_ Ms. Valentine. Of all of my employees, you are the one who is most susceptible to pain. You are fortunate to be actually _standing_ right now, much less _stay_ standing and continue to fight."

"That's enough out of you, Dartz!" Yami shouted. "Mai doesn't deserve this!"

"On the contrary, yes she does." Dartz replied. "Just take a look."

At this point, the Seal of Orichalcos glowed again, as two visions immediately materialize in front of the three of them. In the first scene, it showed Yami dueling against Marik in the Battle City Finals, where Yugi and the good Marik are also in the dueling area. Yugi is floating above Yami, with rings from the Shadow Realm chaining him in position. Marik is in the same situation above the evil Marik. Then, the vision changed to show that every time Yami's LP went down, part of Yugi's body disappeared into the Shadow Realm, and every time that happened, Yugi screamed in pain.

In the second vision, it showed Yami and Kaiba dueling in the Kaiba Dome, where Kaiba had activated the Pyramid of Light trap card, and a giant bright blue pyramid formed onto the field. Then, the vision changed to show that every time Yami or Kaiba lost LP in their duel, part of the life energy was drained and assimilated into the Pyramid of Light on the field.

"And those aren't even the major ones for you, Ms. Valentine." Dartz continued, as the two visions disappeared from the field, and three more visions took their place. "Others had undergone far worse."

The first vision displayed Marik dueling Joey in the Battle City Finals on Kaiba's Alcatraz Duel Tower, where every time one of Joey monsters was destroyed or felt pain, Joey was drained of a part of his energy. The vision then flashed to the final moments of the duel, where Marik used the Winged Dragon of Ra's phoenix form and destroyed Joey's Gilford the Lightning, where Joey was screaming in pain as Ra's phoenix burned him.

In the second vision, it showed Joey and Valon dueling each other in the vacant lot. The vision showed Valon getting back up after being hit by Joey's Rocket Hermos Cannon, then using his Data Brain magic card to create a replica Rocket Hermos Cannon on _his_ side of the field. The vision flashed, showing Valon firing the rockets from the replica Rocket Hermos Cannon at Joey, blowing him off his feet and into the seal's wall, then falling flat on his face. The vision then proceeded to the closing turns of the duel, where Valon got back to his feet after his armor was destroyed by Joey's Lord of the Red's special ability. As Joey flew in for an attack, he activated his Extinction Fist trap card, punching Joey right in the stomach and sending Joey sprawling back across the field, destroying his Lord of the Red in the process.

And finally, in the third vision it showed Joey and Mai dueling each other after Valon was defeated. The vision showed Mai using her Monster Reborn magic card to bring back her Cyber Harpy, her Elegant Egotist magic card to multiply them into three, then playing her Harpy Lady Phoenix Formation magic card to destroy Joey's Gilford the Lightning and his last Scapegoat token. Joey's monsters were destroyed, and Joey staggered and moaned in pain as the blue phoenix burned and scorched him.

"And to think, all three situations were for the same person!" Dartz laughed. "It's no wonder why you repaid him in such a way, Ms. Valentine."

Mai clenched her fists tightly, and tilted her head up to Dartz. "What I did to Joey that night was beyond forgiveness, but that doesn't mean you can now stop me from doing the right thing!" she shouted angrily, but then sunk back to her knees as the pain jolted back up in her body again.

Dartz laughed. "You can barely even stay standing, so what more do you think you can do? _I,_ on the other hand, still have plenty of abundant energy left. And if you look closely, you'll see that my energy gauge is slowly filling itself back up."

Yami turned his head towards Dartz's energy gauge. He was telling the truth. Very slowly, but steadily, Dartz's energy levels were going back up. When he turned his head over to his own energy gauge, he saw that it is doing to same thing.

"As you can see, pharaoh, for every moment that no action takes place, our energy levels slowly recharge themselves." Dartz explained, turning to Yami. "And this is the only way that it can be done, and there is no method for you or Ms. Valentine to speed up the recharging process. But as you can see, Ms. Valentine's energy levels are being depleted at a _much_ faster rate than it can recharge itself, so it makes no difference to me. And you shouldn't be worried too much about yourself either. Clearly _your_ energy levels will allow you to remain in fighting condition _long_ after Ms. Valentine's soul is mine."

"Enough!" Yami shouted. "You'll be beaten _long_ before either of us fall to your twisted schemes!"

"No, but at least you should be relieved to hear that you'll be the second one to fall, pharaoh." Dartz replied. "You and the rest of your friends have undergone your shares of the Shadow Games and have endured great amounts of pain in the process."

Dartz then turned to Mai. "And now, Ms. Valentine, it's your turn."


End file.
